Final Distance
by MarleNadia
Summary: "One girl, one drink." That's all that Zack was asking of Cloud before letting him leave the seaside club that summer night. Red eyes stared back at blue, and he could hardly believe how beautiful she was. Or even who she was. Prompt for Endless Summer 2019/2020 for the CloTi-Zerith Week on Tumblr. Previously titled 'Summer in the City'.
1. One Girl, One Drink

**Disclaimer: **_Final Fantasy VII _with the characters, items, places, etc. are the property of _Square Enix, Inc_. No infringement is intended.

**Author's Note: **Prompt for **_Endless Summer 2019_** for the _CloTi-Zerith Week_ on _Tumblr_. I picked the quote, "Well that just happened," for the June 26th prompts.

I've had this story brewing in my head for a while, and after the collaboration week was announced, I had to join! This story was inspired by two AU fics I love with Cloud making it into the SOLDIER program, with Zack and Aerith alive and the Shinra company in good public standing. Those two stories are _Fidelity_ by _**sekiharatae**_ and _Stay With_ _Me _by _**ValentinesNinja**_. I also had some influence from _Grey's Anatomy_, which helped me with the cover I made. Shoutout to _**Denebola Leo**_, a great friend, and author, for betaing this story. I hope you enjoy my first attempt at a new AU story! Please review.

The title of the story was inspired by Utada Hikaru's song "Final Distance".

**-. Final Distance .-**

**Chapter I: One Girl, One Drink**

Cloud's eyes twitched with annoyance as he stepped closer to the seaside nightclub he was to meet his friends at that evening. Lamia Lounge wasn't his scene, but Aerith had picked the venue. It was her night after all, being recently promoted to a fully fledged biochemist at Faremis Labs, helping invent and create Gaia's supply of various potions.

Zack was determined for him to go out and socialize that weekend, and he only relented to his friend's whims when he was told it was a celebration for Aerith. After a few hours of running the Wutai simulator with his friend at Shinra HQ yesterday, his patience was wearing thin. He slashed away at digitized enemies while Zack rambled on and on about his lack of social life in between his own swings. Even though the two military men lived together off base, Cloud wasn't at the apartment much lately. Many nights were spent late at the training facility, hoping to be picked for top ranking missions. Currently a Second Class Soldier, Cloud was so close to his own promotion.

After the last round of enemies vanished into tiny blocks floating in the air, the brooding man finally gave in. One night out would get Zack to shut his mouth for the next few months, which would be a good amount of time to reach the next rank to First Class. His friend cheerfully jumped up in triumph, and was knocked down by a virtual behemoth in mid air. Cloud may or may have not timed that encounter, but he did take down the enemy swiftly before Zack hopped back up onto his own two feet.

The blond let out a heavy sigh once the view of the neon illuminated building was apparent, followed by the blaring music thundering from the inside. A crowd was out front, but at least there wasn't a long line to get inside. He was glad to see his choice of attire worked, as he didn't want to be overdressed. A black t-shirt, dark jeans and black utility boots is all he needed. Cloud just wanted to get this night over with as quickly as possible. Deep down inside he knew Zack's ulterior motive, and he wasn't going to put up with it. Not tonight, not _ever_. His friend was very invested in his...love life, or lack thereof.

It wasn't that he didn't want a girlfriend, he just didn't have time for one. Cloud was so close to making First Class, and he had made so much progress lately without a girl hanging onto his arm. So much improvement in four months _without_ Jessie, his ex-girlfriend. Surely he wasn't still hung up on her, but an unnecessary distraction would be a waste of precious time.

His friend was worried about some 'pent up frustrations' he might have, certain ones of sexual nature. Cloud groaned in irritation when the topic was brought up, in the locker room of all places, but Zack was Zack. He was the older brother he never had, with a heart of gold for those around him but annoying all the same. Even if he meant well, the intrusion on his personal life wasn't welcomed. Any tension he supposedly had would've been unleashed in his daily training, and no one night stand that Zack was pushing on him was imperative. The idea of him picking up a random girl to sleep with made him chuckle.

His friend was a ladies' man before he settled down, but talking to a girl was never easy for himself. Cloud just happened to keep running into Jessie at a local coffee shop, over and over. Eventually after a few interactions he asked her out...for a cup of coffee. She laughed at him while accepting his offer. This took time though, not one night like Zack assumed was plausible for him to do.

Even if he did meet a girl tonight, it wasn't going to be able to go anywhere until he was done with his training. Jessie had made it clear why she decided to leave...by cheating on him. Back to back missions, Cloud wasn't in the city very much. Exhausted from all the monster hunting and co-op assignments abroad, the one night a week he had with Jessie was spent resting indoors. No amount of apologies or pleads to make her understand this was only temporary would get through to her. Not even a promise for a trip to themselves.

Bitterness had taken over her, and a man answered her door half naked the night he returned. A huge fight broke out between them, and it was over. Cloud threw himself into his training, and Jessie had a new guy. Any girl tonight would do the same thing, he assumed. Zack and Aerith had been worried about his refusals to go out, but he was pretty content with his solitude right now.

And that was how Cloud found himself here tonight, handing his ID card to the bouncer to get into the latest nightclub in Edge. He sent a text message to his friends that he was here, taking note of the time quickly. A few drinks, then back onto the train to Midgar. It would all be over and he wouldn't have to go out again for a long time. Just enough to satisfy his friends' unwanted worries. Slipping his ID back into his wallet, he stepped inside the entrance and found Aerith right away, the brunette giving him a friendly smile upon sight. She was sitting alone in the seating area lined with violet-colored couches, and small black tables in between with miniature golden cactuar lanterns. He was surprised how brightly colored the decor appeared even if the lighting inside the club was dimmed. Cloud approached his friend, who was waving him over to join her.

"I'm so glad you showed up! I had Zack get us some drinks to start with," the chestnut haired girl explained as he sat on the cushioned seat. This place had a modern flair to it, and with how boxy all the furniture appeared he was glad the seating was surprisingly comfortable. He didn't want to have to stand, because then he would be pushed to dance. And he hated dancing.

The charming girl next to him was wearing a stylish color block dress. The strappy top was bright white while the short flare skirt was a royal blue. Even for a nightclub, Aerith was still dressed classy. She began looking at him skeptically, a slightly amused look on her face as she tilted her head to the side. Aerith was still wearing her signature pink bow Zack gifted her on their first date. Cloud cleared his throat, realizing he must've been lost in his thoughts for a bit. "Well, we're celebrating, aren't we?" he replied. He was only here tonight for friends, nothing more.

"Perhaps," she chimed back, her emerald eyes sparkling a bit when she gandered past him. Blue eyes narrowed back at her 'oh so innocent' look, knowing she was up to something too. Before he could inquire, a lively voice interrupted to the right.

"Hey, Cloud! Glad you could actually join us," Zack greeted while placing down three tumblers holding dark amber liquid with a lemon slice garnished on each rim. The indigo eyed man was always dressed to impress. His choice of a navy blazer and white dress shirt with black slacks wasn't a surprise to the cadet. "I got us your favorite cocktail."

That confirmed it. Cloud did enjoy this drink, but with how smooth it went down and his history with it, his eyes widened a bit. Rum, gin, vodka, tequila, and a splash of cola was a genuine recipe for disaster for him. Zack point blank _wanted_ him to get drunk tonight.

His eyes darted up to his friend, who sat on the small couch across from him. "You know how I get with Matra Magic Iced Tea."

"I do?" the raven-haired man feigned innocence. "You get pretty happy after a few."

"Cloud, we just want us all to have fun tonight," Aerith interjected cheerfully, trying to cover for her boyfriend.

He wasn't buying it at all. Picking up his glass, he spoke before taking a sip. "I'll have one, but that's it."

"Man, you need to live a little. All work and no play isn't good for you!" Zack began to chide. "If you aren't going to get drunk, at least buy a pretty girl a drink. Mingle a bit with the opposite sex."

_Mingle? _Cloud scoffed in return before finishing his cocktail. Two more drinks and he was out of here.

"One girl, one drink. That's all I'm asking for."

"No."

Aerith giggled while locking her arm around her boyfriend's, affectionately rubbing it with her free hand. "I'll even pick the girl for you, Cloud. What'dya say?"

Either Zack put her up to it or she was really worried about him. In any case, he ignored her and waved down a waitress for a glass of water to drink.

"Cloud, it's not nice to ignore my lady. Just talk to one girl, and buy her a drink. Then we won't bother you about it for a month, okay?"

Drinking his ice cold beverage to sober up a bit, he continued to ignore them. Now the offer for the one month evasion was tempting, but he didn't believe it, with how forward the couple was, to hold up to it.

As a new song began to play through the speakers, Zack stood up and warned his friend. "You leave me no choice."

_Oh no. He wouldn't…_

"But at night it's a different world. Go out and find a girl," the bold man began to sing. Aerith was delighted and clapped her hands in amusement, while laughing back at Cloud. "Come-on come-on and dance all night. Despite the heat it'll be alright!"

_Oh he would. _Palm flat against his face, he hid from Zack's antics. However, his friend took this as a challenge, grabbed his arm tightly to lift him up while still singing along to the song.

"And babe, don't you know it's a pity, that the days can't be like the nights," Zack resounded while wrapping his arm around Cloud's shoulder, beginning to sway. "In the summer, in the city. In the summer, in the city."

Pushing out of his grasp Cloud gave in to be saved from further open embarrassment as the other patrons around began to laugh. "Fine Zack. I will talk to _one girl_, and buy her _one drink_. Then, I'm getting the hell outta here."

Zack chuckled as he patted his back. "All right! Aerith, do the honors and find Cloud a woman."

"Hmm," the jade eyed girl stood up next to Zack, placing her hand against her chin as she observed the nightclub. After a moment of peering into the crowd, Aerith pointed to a girl leaving the dance floor and heading to the bar. "I think the lady in red will do."

Zack whistled at his girlfriend's choice of woman. "She's _fine_."

"Excuse me?" Aerith scowled back.

"Not as _fine_ as you though," Zack corrected himself, appearing uneasy under her heated stare. He waved his hand out to emphasize. "Not even close."

Smiling once again, she turned to the spiky blond who was staring at the brunette she picked out for him. "Well Cloud, what are you waiting for?"

Sidestepping his friends, he moved slowly through the dancing crowd towards the bar. After slipping out he paused for a moment. Cloud settled his eyes on the woman he was supposed to woo. Her back was turned to him as she conversed with a short Wutaian girl in front of her. Sleek brown hair cascaded down her back, partially covering the scarlet colored dress she wore.

_Lady in red, this must be her. _A few steps forward, he was behind the said woman and tapped gently on her exposed shoulder. When she turned, he was met with carmine eyes fringed with thick lashes. They were both so familiar and captivating. He simply couldn't believe how beautiful she was. He couldn't believe even who she was either. The bright smile that spread across her porcelain cheeks confirmed she recognized him too.

"Tifa?!

* * *

"Well that just happened," her boyfriend commented as they both watched Cloud slip into the mass of people.

Aerith sat back down on the couch and patted the seat next to her for him to come back and join her. "It was easier than I expected."

"He's actually gonna do it!" Zack said excitedly as he made himself comfortable next to her. He placed his arm along the back of the couch as she settled closer to him.

"A little push in the right direction will do him good," Aerith mirthfully responded as she squeezed his thigh. When Zack brought up the idea to get Cloud to start dating again she had to play along, even if the night was supposed to be for her. A little fun never hurt nobody. However, with the brooding man's words declaring his rather soon departure she had to choose wisely. "I picked _her_ for a reason."

"Oh really?"

"Mmhmm," she nodded. "She will hold his attention for more than one drink. I expect him to stay longer than he promised."

"She's exactly the kind of girl Cloud needs in his life," her boyfriend agreed as he observed the reserved man approach the sexy woman.

Aerith picked up her drink she barely had and took a sip before snuggling closer to the raven-haired man. "Zack, we can't spend the whole night worried about Cloud."

"I just wanna see him actually buy her the drink," Zack kissed her cheek quickly, before turning his gaze back over to the bar area. "Then all my attention will be on you."

Placing her drink back down, she leaned into Zack, her breath tickling his earlobe as he slightly shivered when she spoke. "I want your undivided attention now."

She knew he was smiling, his arm curling up behind her to tuck her in closer. He still didn't break his stare from their matchmaking attempt though. Aerith placed her hand on his opposite cheek to pull him in for a kiss, however this move was halted to her surprise.

Zack grabbed her hand on reflex, his blue-violet eyes widening. "Did he just say 'Tifa'?!"

Aerith snapped her attention over where her boyfriend was gawking at. "Who's Tifa?"

Together they observed the gorgeous brunette throw her arms around Cloud's neck, bringing him in for a close hug. For a moment he looked unsure at the gesture, then willfully returned the embrace.

"Holy shit! It _is_ Tifa!"

"Again, who is Tifa?" she curiously reminded Zack of her question. He may have ignored her advances but she had to know who this mystery woman was that was clinging to Cloud right now.

"The girl next door! He had the hots for her in high school," Zack quickly related back when he turned to her. "Tifa is the reason he joined Soldier."

"Interesting. It doesn't look like it was a one-sided crush," Aerith said while tapping the air with her finger towards the recently reunited couple.

"He always thought so, but I had my suspicions."

"Cloud is going to stay the whole night."

"Cloud is getting laid," Zack corrected while wagging his eyebrows. "I'll have to stay at your place tonight."

"That's fine by me," Aerith began before she leaned into his ear and whisper playfully. "But for now, let's dance."

His indigo eyes twinkled back at her, a hint of mischief present in the look he gave her. Zack grasped her hand and gently kissed her knuckles, lifting her up with him as he stood. Teasing would take up most of the night by him, but she didn't mind as she would tease him right back.

* * *

Tifa moved to the beat of the music, shaking her head side to side while moving her hips. She hated to admit that a night out of dancing was what she needed, but Yuffie was indeed right. The past few months had been tense with her final semester of school and her last breakup with her ex. Being single for the first time since high school was new to her, but she hadn't allowed herself any fun for two months with her education being her priority. She threw herself into her books and excelled, then finally landed a career opportunity she couldn't pass up: an internship.

A new city, a new job, and a new place with Yuffie. She accepted the position last minute and was lucky that her college best friend offered her shared space. Yuffie transferred early to Midgar University, and Tifa was finally joining her for her final year. It was her first night free after the move, and Yuffie allow the first night of summer to pass them by as they hung out inside. Tifa rolled her eyes at her friend's excuse, as she really knew the short haired girl was just trying to make her own boyfriend jealous. She went out anyway when he cancelled on their date due to work.

"Looks like someone is having fun," Yuffie shouted to her on the dance floor while busting her own moves. She was wearing a black one shoulder dress that clung to her body except for the slit across her midriff. "And you wanted to stay in and watch TV."

"And you needed me to make Vincent jealous," the brunette winked back, still dancing.

"You're damn right I did! He picked paperwork over me," her friend admitted with a hint of bitterness.

"He's a Turk, isn't he?"

"Yeah, but that's not the point!"

"I think it is, and I know he'll make it up to you from what you told me about him," Tifa pointed out again. "Should we get something to drink?"

"Don't ya mean have some guys buy us drinks?" Yuffie corrected while still bouncing. "I'll be your wingwoman or whatever, for tonight if you need me too."

"Yuffie…" Tifa stopped dancing. The idea of a man in her life so soon was a real damper to her mood. Too soon after what Johnny did. She couldn't willfully trust someone again after the pain he caused her. "I'm not ready for a relationship."

"Relationship?" the younger girl interjected, sticking her tongue out in disgust before she continued. "I'm talking about you getting some!"

Tifa cheeks reddened, almost as dark as her scarlet halter strap dress. She should have figured her friend had a plan when she picked out this outfit for her. The neckline wasn't too low, but low enough. She crossed her arms before she rejected the idea. "I'm not having a one-night stand."

"Okay, okay! But maybe you could get a guy to buy us some drinks? Would there be any harm in that? Or having someone to dance with?" Yuffie pleaded with the questions while slowing down her dance moves.

"No one is going to buy me a drink."

"Sure they will, with you looking like dynamite! The dress really brings out your curves," Yuffie started, but decided to reel back a bit when she saw the brunette's flat look. "Let's go by the bar, and wait for five minutes! If nothing in those three hundred seconds happens, I'll get us the booze instead!"

"Fine."

"Yay! I win!" Yuffie clapped, and following closely behind Tifa to the bar area. "Right here is good, now turn around and wait."

Doing as she was told, the brunette turned to face her. "I don't think anything is going to happen."

"Yes it will! Now, straighten up. Pull those shoulders back, and...put your hand on your hip. Here," Yuffie directed, giving her a once over before approving. "Now you look like bait."

"Aren't I the one that is supposed to be baiting someone? Why would I be the bait?" she laughed.

"Cause guys are stupid," the raven haired girl laughed in return. Her friend immediately stopped being amused when she looked past her, turning serious. "Ohhhh here's a guy. Stay still. Stay seductive."

"The first guy just checking me out isn't buying me a drink," Tifa dismissed rather quickly. This whole charade to lure a guy at all just for free cocktails was ridiculous. She couldn't believe she was playing into this game, but either way, she would get a drink at the end of it, she mused. Then it happened.

A gentle tap on her shoulder. A wide grin across the young Wutaian's face. A man was standing behind her.

For the second time that evening, Yuffie was right. _Damn it. _

She turned around slowly to the unknown suitor, and her eyes connected with sharp cerulean orbs. Tifa was hypnotized for a moment with how brilliant and intense they were. The same eyes she had seen before, but yet they were so different right now. She had never been so enraptured by eyes before, both her heartbeat and breath quickened by them alone. He was her friend from her hometown, but also the one that got away. Tifa gave her long lost crush her biggest smile.

"Tifa?!" he asked, his blue eyes darted up and down in surprise.

"Cloud! I-I can't believe it's you," she genially responded, encircling her arms around his neck in a hug. It had been forever since she had seen him. Four years to be exact, when he graduated high school and left Nibelheim forever. She felt him stiffen at first, but then he warmed up to her embrace.

"You two know each other?" Yuffie interrupted, pointing her finger between Tifa and her friend that she was hugging.

Tifa turned to Yuffie who came up next to them, while still holding onto Cloud. "Yes. Cloud and I grew up in Nibelheim together. He was one year ahead of me and I haven't seen him since then." She loosened up her grip on him, slowly. "How are you doing in Edge?"

He gave a quick nod. "Good, but I'm in Midgar. I settled in shortly after I arrived."

"Did you make it into Soldier?"

"Uhh...I umm...business apprenticeship actually. I changed my mind," Cloud rubbed the back of his head shyly. Tifa smiled at the memory of his longtime habit. "And you?"

"I got into a medical internship and I start next week. I live in Midgar too, with Yuffie," Tifa replied, pointing to her friend.

"Hmm, interesting," the grey eyed girl tapped her chin, waving her hand between them. "Look, I hate to break up your little reunion, but did you want to buy us drinks?"

"Yuffie! Don't be rude."

"What?! Don't be naive, Teef! The reason he came over here was to buy you a drink anyway with how hot you look," Yuffie scoffed and then nudged the blond in the ribs with her elbow. "Right Cloud?"

"What will you two be having?" he offered, while waving the bartender over.

She found herself blushing again, watching him lean against the counter. His lean, powerful muscles could easily be made out under the black shirt he wore. He didn't answer, but him making the purchase said enough. Cloud was trying to pick her up tonight? Cloud...thought she was hot? Tifa shook her head, thinking she was reading too far into the gentlemen's actions. Really, it could be nothing…again.

"Matra Magic Iced Tea!" Yuffie answered excitedly. Taking notice of the man busy paying for the drinks, she tugged Tifa to the side. "So…he's the _koibito_, right? He's waaaay hotter than you described."

"Shhhh, and don't call him that," the brunette hushed. It was true, but Cloud didn't need to hear that. Tifa didn't know what she had in front of her until he was weeks away from leaving for the big city. She was afraid to say anything then, and it was a long time ago. Pleading with her friend, she continued to whisper. "Listen, I don't want him to know that I had, you know..._feelings_."

"Yeah, but this could be your second chance. He didn't ask you to prom like you wanted him to, but you could still dance tonight," her friend persuaded on the down low. "You're single, he's probably single. That's why he came up to you tonight. It was fate."

"You think so?" Tifa asked softly. She thought there might've been something between them when they were younger, but she placed it all on her being hopeful back then. But maybe now, that she was older and single...

"Yeah, fate for you to get down and dirty," Yuffie snorted, then turned her attention back to Cloud coming over with their drinks. "Hey Spiky, thanks!"

"I get a nickname so soon?" he gently teased.

"That's her way of an approval," Tifa explained, meeting him halfway to help with the beverages. She was surprised to see him carry three at once, but he managed with ease.

"I guess that's a good thing then. Here," Cloud handed them their drinks, then turned back to grab his.

"Thanks Cloud," Tifa said with a smile. "Next round is on me, okay?"

"Sure," he smiled back while clinking his drink with hers, motioning for a small cheer. Azure eyes stared back into hers, focused and absolute. The look alone made her heart skip a beat, sending a shiver down to the core of her spine. Even in just a few years apart, she was starting to realize her feelings were as strong as they ever were. Her cheeks began to color when she was becoming smittened like a silly teen again. However, Tifa was looking forward for what the night could bring.

* * *

**Author's Note Continued:** I snuck in the _koibito_ line too for Cloti and Zerith fans alike. The song that Zack is singing is in fact the previous title of this fic, 'Summer in the City', a good rock and roll song from the late 1960s. I hope you enjoy my first attempt at a new AU story! Please review.


	2. Under the Stars

**Disclaimer:** _Final Fantasy VII_ with the characters, items, places, etc. are the property of _Square Enix, Inc_. No infringement is intended.

**Author's Note:** Prompt for _**Endless Summer 2019**_ for the _CloTi-Zerith Week_ on _Tumblr_. I picked "Starry Nights" and the quote "More beautiful than I expected" for the June 27th prompts.

My first AU story and I've gotten so much feedback the first day I posted! Shoutout to _**Denebola Leo**_, a great friend, and author, for betaing this story and taking the time to read again for a review. So many favorites and follows, and a huge thank you to _**Alicantis **_and _**Skyraisin **_for their reviews. I've got the intro plot solidified but I do have plans for the Cloud and Tifa's past for this new story. I'm overwhelmed with the positivity on one just chapter alone, but I'm open to suggestions for this story as I'm freeflow writing this piece. Most of my stories have an outline and I don't have much for this one! I'm afraid after Chapter 3 I'll need to take time to brew up more for this piece. Thanks again and please review!

The title of the story was inspired by Utada Hikaru's song "Final Distance".

**-. Final Distance .-**

**Chapter II: Under the Stars**

Zack swayed with his girlfriend on the dance floor, her arms encircled around his neck as she gave him a few tender kisses along his jawline. It was almost an hour until closing, and Aerith was teasing him every chance she got tonight.

"I need to go to the ladies' room quick," she said into his ear. "I'll be right back."

"I need to check on our boy anyway," he smirked back. "He's been with _her_ all night and he could've left hours ago."

Aerith playfully pushed his shoulder back, and tapped her finger into him with each word. "Leave him alone."

Grabbing her hand gently, he lifted it to press his mouth on the inside of her wrist. He could see green eyes narrow at him as he kissed her soft skin, and grinned when he saw the corner of her mouth turn up. "I'm just going to let him know I won't be home tonight. That's all."

"I'm sure it will only be that," lifting a golden brown eyebrow at him. Aerith always knew better, but he pretended his innocence anyway. He released his grasp on her arm, bringing his hands to her waist to pull her in for a chaste kiss. "Be nice, Zack."

His eyes followed her as she left the dance floor, then landed on the man he needed to talk to. Cloud was leaning against the wall, drinking solo at the moment. Now would be the perfect time with both of their ladies preoccupied.

"Drink number five? I thought you would've left after the first," Zack casually commented while approaching his silent friend. "I'm just wondering...what exactly is keeping you here tonight."

Cloud grunted before he took another sip.

"Or should I say...who?" Zack continued to pry. "She's that girl, isn't she? Tifa?"

"Yes...she is," Cloud mumbled before throwing his drink back down his throat. He twirled the glass in his hand, lost in his thoughts for a moment. "She's in Midgar now, and I…" He shook his head vehemently while sighing.

"Oh, Cloud, what issues could I be possibly be sensing?" he crossed his arms while teasing and preparing for the onslaught of self doubt. Instead, he was met with an icy stare from frigid blue eyes. Teasing wasn't welcomed tonight, or the amount he had dished out at least. Zack faltered but was interrupted before asking his friend what exactly was up.

"I'm back," the lady in red announced as she came up to the two men. "Are you a friend of Cloud's?"

The raven haired man stuck out his hand. "The name's Zack. And you must be Tifa."

He could feel Cloud's eyes on them as Tifa shook his hand in return. Zack ignored it, but was confused by the tension radiating from him. Was he not allowed to introduce himself?

"Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you. How do you two know each other?" Tifa asked him while flashing a smile.

"Cloud and I are—"

"Work. I met him...at work," Cloud promptly interrupted, staring hard at Zack.

Even more confused, he titled his head at the blond, releasing the pretty girl's hand. _Work? Why is he only saying 'work'? _

"Oh! So you're a business apprentice too?" Tifa spoke up again, earning his attention back.

Hearing her answer, Zack tsked to himself but played along. He nodded back to Tifa. "Yup. Business."

"We got carried away earlier, but what is the business anyway?"

"Inventory," Cloud inserted while slapping his glass on a nearby table. "We help manage...a delivery service...for other businesses."

_Why is he lying to her? That was his side job as a cadet. He couldn't be that ashamed. He was in Soldier after all, _he pondered to himself. Zack decided to just find out later instead, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah. I hate to cut this short, but Aerith and I are heading out soon. I'll be over at her place tonight."

"Is Aerith another friend of Cloud's?" the brunette curiously asked.

"Yeah. And my _girlfriend_," Zack clarified for his best friend's girl, a hint of relief was seen in her flammeous eyes. She really had it bad for him. "It was a pleasure to met you, and I hope to see more of _you_ in the future, Tifa."

Her cheeks colored at his words, which she tried to cover up with a smile she couldn't help. Tifa was obviously infatuated with his friend already, and she didn't even know the truth. Zack didn't want to blow his cover, but he had a feeling he knew why his friend wasn't telling his dream girl about his employment.

Cloud narrowed his stare a bit, looking irritated at what was being implied. Even through his innocent exterior, the comments of the place being free and other dropped hints were not kindly reciprocated. "Goodnight Zack."

"Oh, but I wanted to meet Aerith?" she turned to Cloud, as if she was asking for permission.

Sensing his friend wanted to be alone with the final hour left, Zack fibbed. "Maybe next time. Right now she's pretty feisty and is trying to score a cab."

"Oh...umm okay. Next time then," Tifa bid farewell with a simper. The 'courier' standing behind her just rolled his eyes at the excuse he gave. But really, what else was he supposed to say? Aerith is too drunk and he left her alone? His lie wasn't going to imply that he himself was a bad boyfriend. He fabricated enough for his friend tonight.

"See ya," Zack waved off, stepping back quickly into the crowd. Maneuvering around strangers he found his girlfriend just as she left the restroom, stunned to see him there. Pulling her close he placed his arm around her shoulder and headed towards the exit.

"Is everything alright?" Aerith asked, before playfully continuing, "I mean, I don't mind leaving so soon, Zack."

"Cloud's probably gonna make a move and he wanted us to back off," Zack related as he pushed the door open to the summer night air. The street was noisy with other patrons taking leave. The club was approaching the time for last call. He whistled loudly to signal a cab over. "He's pretty serious about her..."

"I heard her talk about him in line to her friend," his girlfriend added. A breeze swept by chilling her visibly, prompting Zack into removing his blazer to place on her shoulders. Aerith pulled on the lapels of the jacket to snug it closer, giving him a small smile for his kind gesture. "She's a smitten kitten, so he'll be fine."

"I hope so…it's just..." Zack said dejectedly with a sigh, rubbing her arms softly.

"Did something else happen?" Aerith tilted her head to meet his indigo eyes. The vehicle pulled up in front of them before he had a chance to answer her. She reached out for him tentatively, her palm flat against his firm chest. "Zack?"

Opening the door he motioned his head for her to enter. "I'll explain on the way back."

* * *

Tifa stepped closer to where he was leaning against the wall, her hip merely touching his own with her proximity. He swallowed hard with how near she was to him without a second thought. Cloud fisted his hand that was closest to her to resist reaching out. Having a few drinks tonight made him a little bolder around her. Words were fine when spoken, but he had touched her tenderly without realizing it. A holding hand, a gentle sweep against her back, even brushing the hair out of her eyes. His body was acting on its own, and she was letting him. It had been awhile that he spent time alone with the opposite sex, but her enjoyment of his small advances was undeniable.

"Where did Yuffie go?" Cloud inquired the other girl's whereabouts. Tifa had returned from the restroom alone when she was escorted earlier by her. He wondered if the grey-eyed girl disappeared again as she often did that evening. And he knew exactly why, too.

"Vincent finally showed up," she explained close to him while still looking around, then pointing to her friend. Out on the dance floor Yuffie was moving to the beat, hips moving against, he assumed, her own stoic boyfriend. The dark haired man was dressed in a navy business suit and black tie, looking uncomfortable in the social setting. Tifa's charming giggle tickled his ear. "Seems Yuffie needs him all to herself right now. I'll have to meet him later."

"So you're stuck with me?" he teased while glancing at the peculiar couple. From his peripheral view he found his words earned a blush from her again, which stroked his ego just right.

"No, I wouldn't say that," she retorted sheepishly, tucking a few strands of her luscious hair behind her ear. He took note earlier she would do this while she was nervous around him.

He arched his head to face her, his eyes meeting hers instantly. "Then what would you say?"

"Hmmm," she joyfully hummed back, leaning her forearm against the wall. He watched as her teeth dragged across her red lips before she answered. "I would say...I was lucky."

Ruby still locked on his sapphire eyes, he relaxed his hand and hesitantly reached out for hers that rested next to his. Each time he experimented any affection she was a willing participant for him. Her fingers laced with his with a familiarity, and she smiled back just as she squeezed his hand.

"Follow me," he said with confidence as he tugged at her hand gently. She glided behind him through the crowd. Closing time was near and the bar area was getting too boisterous for any privacy, and Cloud knew just the place to take her for that.

Ascending the stairs they dodged passersby who were going down. Seeing her quizzical look he decided to pause and explain. "I haven't been up here for awhile," then continued leading her. "Me, Zack and Aerith would go up to the back deck to kinda sober up. It gets pretty empty with last call."

As he opened the doors, Tifa let his hand go to walk past him and take in the sight out on the wide balcony. Even though they were in a city, the night sky in Edge was much more clearer than Midgar. "Oh wow," was all she could say.

She was admiring the blazing stars that illuminated the dark sky above them. The midnight canvas went on forever as it met the calm ocean passed the blanched beachfront, reflecting the same stars. A gentle breeze swept by, jostling the ends of her smooth tresses cascading down her back. Cloud moved to join her as she propped her arms onto the railing, his eyes focused on her with each stepped forward.

Tifa turned to smile at him, her fair skin glowing under the moonlight. "It's more beautiful than I expected." Her lips were a cherry red, sweet and tempting to taste.

"Yeah, it sure is," he replied, his fingers pushing her loose strands behind her earlobe. The wind was picking up, carrying a hint of salt from the sea. She shivered, perhaps from his touch or the cool air, but the answer to his wanders was evident when she leaned into his palm.

Cloud wasn't sure how, but tonight he found it surprisingly easy to flirt with Tifa. Maybe it was the booze that made him bolder. In Nibelheim, he was the nobody that lived next door to her, lucky enough to be her friend growing up. Her father surely didn't like it but her mother had a soft spot for him, so no rule was set against him. But now he wasn't stuck in that mountain town, but here as a man in the seaside city, with a girl he always wanted to be his. A girl probably willing to be with him.

But he was also a man who lied about his success to her. Maybe that's what really made it so easy to flirt with her. Pretending to be someone he wasn't. Before he left his backwater hometown he told everyone he was going to be First Class and strive to the top fast. He was almost there, but it wasn't quick enough.

"This reminds me of our last night together back home," she stated in a whisper, both eager and nervous. His hand still cupping her cheek, he stroked his thumb lightly on her soft skin. He remembered that night, too.

Under the same stars, he recalled her eyes widening when he told her of his future plans at the water tower. He asked her out there the night before his graduation, as he wanted her to be the first to hear he was moving to Midgar. His best friend gave him the brightest smile and kissed him on the cheek for good luck.

"Cloud…" Tifa said his name dreamily, or perhaps it came off that way with the warm liquid swirling inside him. The effects from his drinking were starting to make him feel fuzzy and unbalanced. This always happened with Matra Magic Iced Tea, goes down smooth and starts to hit you hard when it's too late. His vision of her wavered a bit but he was able to steady himself when he focused on her deep maroon eyes, filled with longing passion.

He wanted to resist, he really did, but when Tifa laved the bottom of her lip with her tongue he lost control. Her pert muscle darted out of her mouth for a brief moment, causing him to cave into his drunken desire. His hand had anchored the back of her neck to press his lips against hers. Upon contact, he exhaled while she moaned against his fervent mouth. His tongue dove inside as she parted her lips more, stroking and coaxing hers to play back.

For a second he wondered if she wanted this, but then her hands were pressed on his chest, firm and steady. She was kissing him back, her mouth both hot and willing, tasting of citrus and rum. Kissing Tifa was indeed intoxicating, the little noises she made were ultimately addicting.

Gripping his shoulders she pressed herself into him as he suckled onto her bottom lip, another pleasurable moan emanating from her. Cloud had doubts about making a move, but they were all gone now. She wanted this, but it still felt so right just as much as it felt so wrong. They were drunk and he was getting carried away with the heat of the moment.

Breaking the kiss, he breathed against her mouth. "Tifa..."

She kissed the corner of his mouth, giggling as she did so. The effects of the alcohol must be catching up to her as well, he assumed. He pulled back but still loomed over her, holding her half lidded gaze with his own. Tifa's eyes were glazed over and her soft cheeks a bright pink, the common signs of being tipsy. He licked his lips nervously, holding Tifa close to him to keep her steady. Inhaling her scent made him want to keep kissing, but they had to get going.

Cloud groaned as she began to nuzzle his neck, trying to fight against the pleasure. The nightclub was closing, but he wanted to continue cradling the woman of his dreams in his arms. She swayed against him, still letting out little laughs over nothing. He would need to get her to Yuffie so she could get home safe. Brushing her hair out of her eyes he gave her a chaste kiss on the lips quick. "Come on, let's get you home."

* * *

She had no idea how Cloud had managed to get her down the stairs of the nightclub, but with one step at a time they made it. Passing the bar he snatched her a bottle of ice cold water as he panned the room for Yuffie. She was still leaning on him for support, but the cool liquid she was drinking was sobering her up. Even though the room wasn't spinning as much she still felt loopy.

"Let's go outside and wait for her," he suggested, holding her close to his side as he escorted them out. Tifa could only nod in return as she held the rim of the bottle to her lips, which were swollen from his earlier affections.

Cloud had kissed her tonight. It was nothing compared to that little peck she gave him years ago, but this was the kind of kiss she wanted from him as a teenager. Even with the amount of flirting between them, Tifa was both stunned and elated he sealed the deal. Her lips still tingled and throbbed from the contact, and she wished he didn't stopped. If only they had more time...

Clutching her water bottle to her chest, she continued forward in his protective embrace as they searched for her friend. He stopped near a lamp post, hugging her closer to him. His arm draped over her shoulders while she tucked hers around his back, her body slightly pressed against his. Her cheeks darkened at how possessive he seemed and was thankful she could blame her blushing on the alcohol tonight.

She swallowed hard before speaking his name. "Cloud?"

He only grunted, still searching for Yuffie. Her eyes were focused on the crew neck of his black shirt as she chewed the inside of her cheek. They had a moment earlier, so why not just ask about it? "You kissed me tonight." She ducked her head down a little for being so bold, feeling the heat rise in her face again. Tifa meant a question, not a statement!

"I did...but I shouldn't have," he confirmed as his voice wavered.

_What? Why?_ She quickly darted her face up and bumped her nose into his, startling her to inch back. Tifa hadn't realized he had looked down to answer her, and now was staring into his perfect ultramarine eyes. Seeing the worry on her face, he spoke to ease her mind. "Tifa...you're drunk."

"So are you."

He closed his eyes, resting his forehead on hers. "Tifa...I like you, but you've been drinking and I––"

That was all he needed to say. Tifa was the one that closed the distance with a kiss this time. Her lips brushed against his shyly, tongue slipping inside his open mouth. His fingers curled tighter around her shoulder, pulling her closer to kiss her back. Showing him she was fine with his affections seemed to be the best way to get her point across.

"WOOHOO!" She didn't have to turn around to see who it was. Yuffie had found them instead. "Way to go, Tifa!"

Reluctantly pulling back from the kiss, she turned to the other drunk girl while still in Cloud's arms. Vincent was on the curb trying to wave over a cab. Hesitantly she looked back at his blue eyes, not wanting to leave. The night was over, and she had to return home now that her roommate was here. Facing her friend again, she asked "are you ready to get going?"

"Actually…I'm going back to his place," Yuffie saucily explained while pointing behind her, giving the two a wink. "But Spiky can take care of you tonight, right?" She was nudging his ribs again.

"Uhh…" Cloud faltered as the faintest blush appeared, a sight Tifa thought she wouldn't ever see. It didn't matter as she was still blushing herself, even more so with her friend's suggestion.

"Yuffie––" Tifa tried to reason, but was interrupted.

"Oh come on, I give you my blessing...or whatever!" She waved her arms up in a drunken manner, making her wobble a bit. Getting her balance back, Yuffie leaned forward, whispering loudly to the blond. "The condoms are in the medicine cabinet."

Tifa couldn't be more mortified. They barely even kissed, and her friend was pushing a one night stand onto her, again.

"Yuffie, our cab is here," Vincent stated, holding the door open. He seemed to be ignoring his girlfriend's antics.

The Wutaian girl giggled before bouncing away. "Have fun!"

"I'll just...make sure you get home safe," Cloud said waving their own transportation down. This whole time they have been holding each other. Tifa tucked her face in the crook of his neck as she waited for their ride to arrive.

"I'm sorry," she whispered against his skin. He smelled nice with his spicy cologne. "She's a good friend, she's just pushy."

"Don't worry about it," he mumbled into her ear, playing with her hair. "Can't say I don't have one just like that."

Tifa laughed. "Let me guess, is it Zack?"

"Yeah," Cloud confirmed, and she didn't have to look to see he was rolling his eyes. She was content where she was in his arms. "Tifa, our cab is here."

Her let her slide into the cushioned back seat first, never releasing his touch from her back. After they both gave their addresses to the driver, the vehicle turned into the street to had back to Midgar. Tifa nestled onto his shoulder, closing her eyes as she snuggled against him peacefully.

"Would it feel like I'm picking you up if I asked for your number?" he propositioned into her ear, chuckling a bit. His breath fanned her skin, bringing a smile to her face. She still felt nervous being with him, even looking at him after everything that night.

Grabbing her cellphone she handed it to him, nuzzling his neck. "Yeah," she hummed back before continue to suck on his earlobe. "But it's totally okay by me."

He sucked in a breath, making her giggle as she teased him while he fumbled with her device. She heard the ding of what she assumed was his phone just as Cloud pulled her face to his demanding lips. The shy boy from her mountain town certainly knew how to use his mouth. And she most certainly didn't want him to stop.

His kisses were ravenous as he traced his tongue along her lips, beckoning her to open her mouth. Her cheeks were still cupped in his hands, the kiss going deeper than she expected. Gliding her hands across his torso, she mewled in between his assault, and she could feel the smirk against her mouth as he continued to take over. His scent and taste were too invigorating, too heady. More powerful than any drink she had that evening, and she was still too tipsy. _Something that feels this good shouldn't end_, she mused.

The car jerked to a stop, bringing their kissing to a grinding halt. "We're here," the driver announced. Had she really just made out with him in the back of the cab this whole time? Cloud's chest was raising and falling from his labored breathing, his heart pounding fast beneath her hands. They had really gotten carried away.

Tifa glanced out the window and noticed she had the first stop. She reached for her cellphone that had fallen on the seat, leaning over Cloud a little. As she came back down against the leather she gave him a quick kiss between her own heavy panting. "Call me?"

"Yeah," he breathed, his cobalt eyes so pure. "I will."

"Goodnight Cloud," she smiled as she held his gaze, her hand gripping the door handle.

"Goodnight Tifa."

She turned and pushed open the door, one foot on the pavement and she paused. Why was she getting out of the car when her heart and body were screaming to stay? She was halfway out the door and contemplating what it would mean to her, to _them_, if she didn't go home tonight.

_It would mean everything. _

Tucking her foot back inside she closed the door. "Drive," she told the driver.

One arm hooked around his neck, she climbed onto his lap. The skirt in her dress hiked up a little, but she paid it no mind. Part of her couldn't believe what she was doing, the other blamed the booze that night. She was going to be bold and brave in what she wanted.

Cloud's eyes wandered her face as she settled against him, pressing her body flushed against his in the back of the car. His hands readily kneaded her thighs that straddled him, but his voice was hesitant. "Tifa?"

"Take me home, Cloud," she commanded before pushing her mouth against his. Her body had been aching for his all evening, and this wasn't going to be a one night stand between them. This was the beginning.

* * *

**Author's Note Continued:** Oh. _My_.

I forgot to add this the last chapter, but Matra Magic Iced Tea is a Long Island Iced Tea. Drink goes down smooth, so I picked that for Cloud's poison. Chapter 3 will be posted tomorrow.


	3. Revelations

**Disclaimer: **_Final Fantasy VII_ with the characters, items, places, etc. are the property of _Square Enix, Inc_. No infringement is intended.

**Author's Note: **Prompt for _**Endless Summer 2019**_ for the _CloTi-Zerith Week_ on _Tumblr_**.** I picked "Drunken Confessions" and a take on the quote "Surpise I love you" for the June 28th prompts.

My first AU story and I've gotten so much feedback the first day I posted! Shoutout to _**Denebola Leo**_, a great friend, and author, for betaing this story and taking the time to read again for a review. For my next update, which will be a while, I'll need to take time to brew up more for this piece. Perhaps more on Cloud and Tifa's past before he ships off to Midgar and leaving a love-struck girl behind? Thanks again and please review!

The title of the story was inspired by Utada Hikaru's song "Final Distance".

**-. Final Distance .-**

**Chapter III: Revelations**

Between the kisses with Cloud and the effects of the alcohol that night, Tifa wasn't sure how they both made it from the cab to the door of his apartment. It felt good kissing him, as well as the warm liquid swirling inside her body from her drinking that night. But being with him right now wasn't going to be a regret from too many cocktails. She clutched onto his shoulders as their lips danced, his hands cupping her flushed cheeks to gradually end the exchange.

"Tifa," he breathed out as he leaned his forehead on hers, still holding her face. "We need to slow down. You're...not well."

"But I feel fine, Cloud," she said as she circled her fingers at the nape of his neck, tilting her head to the side while giving him a big smile. "Really, I am."

"You're gonna have a killer headache in the morning," he argued while pulling his head back. His hands smoothed down her skin to rest on her shoulders, his blazing cobalt eyes meeting hers for a second, and then darted away. In that moment she could see a battle of distress and desire before he pulled her hand and guide her to the kitchen area. They passed the small dining table and stopped in front of the countertop island. As the silence settled between them Tifa smoothed her hand across the cool black marble as Cloud opened the fridge behind her. Turning around and closing the cooler, he opened and handed her a small bottle filled with lavender liquid.

"Here. It's a remedy for hangovers," he explained as he twisted the top off of his own share. "You'll still feel a little rundown in the morning, but no headache or nausea."

"Oh, thank you," Tifa softly replied, holding the bottle to her lips and taking a small sip. After a surprising taste of grapes and raspberries, she finished the bottle as well and placed it on the counter next to his empty bottle.

He had been leaning his hip against the cabinet, his eyes roaming up and down her body with the same craving she saw on the balcony of the bar. But she noticed a hint of confliction in a sea of blue. All she knew was that she wanted to kiss him again. Needed him to have his lips on hers again. They both wanted this, but he seemed to be slightly hesitant. He would look at her, and then shy away again.

She could see him swallow hard when she took one step closer, her hand on his waist with her body nearly inches from his. Scratching the back of his head, he avoided eye contact and cleared his throat. "I can take the couch tonight, and you can sleep in my bed," he offered quietly.

"You don't need to do that," she chimed back, rubbing her thumb affectionately over his clothed abdomen.

"But I'm taking care of you tonight," he stated gently, brushing the hair out of her eyes and trailing his fingers through her long locks, landing his hand on the small of her back. He looked like he wanted to kiss her again but was holding himself back. She watched his Adam's apple bounce again from another hard swallow.

Encircling her arms around his waist, she pulled him closer and let the liquid encouragement in her system speak boldly for what she truly wanted deep down inside for the longest time. "Then take care of me the way we both need you to, Cloud."

Pressing her lips tentatively to his, she sought his returned affections. Her tongue breached out to taste him, prompting his to play back when he slanted his mouth over hers. For a moment she thought it wasn't going to take her much effort to convince him, but then he broke the kiss, his breath heavy against her cheek.

"This is just the booze talking."

"This is me...and you," she persuaded into his ear. "This is us."

"Us on _one night_," he kissed her cheek, thinking he was right. Thinking it had to be all the booze and bliss from a reunion. Part of it was, but a greater part of it wasn't. Not to her.

"...Years," she whispered. "It's been years...for me."

His face alongside hers, his hand on her back while she embraced back, Tifa could feel his body still at her confession. The only sound he made was his even breathing that fanned her ear, making her shudder as she turned her face away and into his chest.

"Tifa?" He broke the silence with her name, bringing his hand gingerly up her back. "What do you mean by…'years'?"

She gripped the fabric on the back of his shirt. "That I had feelings for you, and I didn't realize until it was too late. You were leaving, so I couldn't say anything back then. And all of a sudden you're here again...so, this isn't just the booze talking. It's me."

"It's...you," he reiterated, his voice in disbelief as his lips skirted across her face to pull away and look at her. Gently, he tipped her chin to face him, his cyaneous eyes were so clear, almost glowing with anticipation to what she was telling him.

"Surprised?" Tifa responded bashfully, focusing her claret eyes on his chest. She was shocked herself when she became aware of her true feelings way back when. Biting her lip for a moment as her cheeks tinged pink, she continued. "I was kind of in love with you back then."

Inching his face to hers, he made a brief confession of his own. "Same here."

Her eyes widened at his truth, but got wider when his mouth captured hers when he tipped her face back, cupping her cheeks. When her lips parted in surprise, Cloud took ample opportunity to slip his tongue inside, curling around hers. Closing her eyes and moaning against his mouth, he turned her body to pin her between the counter and himself. She began to kiss him back as she matched his passion, moving her hands up his back to pull him closer.

He ran his hands down her sides, taking it slow along the curves of her breast before reaching her butt, scooping her up to the surface. The bottles knocked over and landed onto the floor were forgotten. Tifa squealed in surprised delight when she pulled away from his lips, making him kiss along her jawline as he pressed himself between her open legs. The skirt of her dress scrunched up again, but she didn't care with how he was sucking on her neck just right.

Grazing his tongue over her collarbone, he gave a hearty squeeze to her breast, pinching his forefinger and thumb around her clothed nipple in perfect tempo of teasing her. She let out a whimper as her hands trailed down his back, tugging the material of his shirt to loosen it. For a moment he stopped his affections to help her lift his shirt off. Tifa discarded it behind her as he went back to kissing her reverently, suckling her bottom lip hard til it was swollen.

He pulled the zipper of her dress down slightly, propelling Tifa to undo the strap, making the red fabric top to fall to her midriff. Enfolding her legs around his waist, she brought them chest to chest, hip to hip. Feeling his apparent arousal against her inner thigh, she shifted her lower body between kisses to properly align, edging herself closer to him so he could penetrate her through clothes. He groaned into her mouth, releasing himself from her lips to suck along the top of her fleshy mounds. Twisting his fingers around her bud she bucked her hips forward as she cried out in pleasure, earning yet another groan from him.

"Tifa…" her name being moaned from his mouth before he enveloped her rosy peak, coiling his tongue as he sucked down hard on her bosom. When he increased the pace with his tongue, she raked her fingers through his golden spikes, pushing her breast into his mouth harder. On his final suck he tugged his teeth around her nipple, earning a small cry while trailing kisses up the porcelain column of her neck.

His fingers were trailing up her thigh, pushing aside the dampened fabric of her panties to brush her clit. Rubbing and pivoting around her sex, she shuddered intensely at the contact, spreading her legs out more for him. Placing his hand on the small of her back, Cloud looked at her with heated eyes as he pushed his fingers inside her.

Rosy lips parted when she moaned at the beginning of his smooth strokes, but he crushed her mouth with his own. Harder and faster he worked as he kissed her to mute her cries. Her nails dug into his shoulders while the warmth between her legs raised up higher, his fingers surely coated in her essence with how good it felt. And it felt too good. Mewling into his kisses as Cloud continued to assault her from below with his hand, she bit down on his lower lip and sucked hard. He groaned back, pumping rigorously into her with his fingers as small whines escaped from her between kisses. A muffled cry into his mouth, Tifa came wordlessly as she held herself tight against his bare chest.

Her body still trembling, she broke the kiss and whispered into his ear. "Where's the bedroom?"

Caressing her mouth with his lips again, Cloud lifted her bottom up as she encircled her legs around his waist, hoisting her up from the counter and to carry her away. Opening a door with one hand, he stepped through and kicked it closed behind him as their tongues mingled with each other. When her back hit the mattress she giggled in glee as he crawled above her, holding himself up by his arms as he panted hard, looking dazed as his azure eyes wandered up and down her falling bare chest from her deep breaths.

"Are we...are we really doing this?" he asked between breaths, holding her gaze.

"Yeah, we are," Tifa confirmed, hooking her fingers into her scrunched up dress and underwear to slide off her body. Lifting her bottom up, he helped ease off the red material, his hand skimming down her thigh as he did so while her fingers fumbled with his belt buckle. Shaking the rest of his pants off, he pinned his body to hers, skin to skin. Being covered by him completely naked sent an electric current down her spine. Beyond excited to have him, she encircled her arms around his neck as he leaned his arm to the side. Hearing him fumble for his nightstand drawer and grabbing a square plastic wrapper that he ripped opened with his teeth quickly, putting on the condom below.

Adjusting his legs, he slid in between her wet petals, still drenched from her earlier arousal. Her breath hitched as he entered her, his face buried in the crook of her neck as he kissed her tenderly along her sweaty collarbone. Cloud was so warm and hard, the friction too good to be true below. Tifa wasn't one to seek sex, only being with one man before now, but she did miss this attention to her needs. But this was something bigger than just ecstasy, this was the two of them being together finally. Her life being finally lit up after he left their hometown. She was so into him then, and even more now. Thrusting forward, he went long and deep inside her core, over and over again.

"Oh, Cloud!" she cried out, feeling his breath ragged against her neck as he continued moving inside her. Digging tiny crescents into his shoulders, she moaned louder when he picked up the pace. Lifting her hips up with one hand, anchoring his other arm from under her, he angled down hard, his strokes hitting her just right. Tifa could feel the sweat dripping down his brow, landing on her shoulder at his rough ministrations in the deepest part of her. Heat pooled between her legs as she was overcome with pure bliss, wave after wave at each assault.

"Tifa!" Cloud gasped out as he rode out his own release, slowing down before kissing her fervidly. His body slumped against hers, bringing them both down against the cool comforter that lined his bed.

Slowing down their heated kiss, Tifa licked her lips nervously as she looked into his half-lidded eyes. "Can we...again?"

His cerulean eyes perked up enthusiastically at her request, a smirk appearing on his face. "Yeah, yeah we can."

His lips picking up where they left off, Tifa melted against his mouth as she hooked her legs up to roll them over on the mattress. Cloud was surprised, but said nothing as she roamed her hands up his chest as she straddled him, kissing him passionately. She had never felt so complete in her life.

_Definitely no regrets about this night._

* * *

He woke up an hour ago, the sun beaming through his balcony door, glittering off the wall behind him as the air conditioner jostled the curtains covering the large window. Cloud felt somewhat tired, but no blaring headache to greet him this morning. He laid still in his bed, his sheets covering up to his waist as he faced the sleeping girl next to him.

Tifa was in his bed.

Her breath was even as she slept peacefully, bunching up the blanket around her chest as her hands were tucked under the pillow to keep warm. He remembered they cuddled a bit last night, after a few rounds of...well.

A night he never experienced before himself.

"Morning," Tifa blissfully said to him, tucking her hair behind her ear as she smiled at him. They were still laying next to each other, side by side faced in the bed.

_When did she wake up? _His eyes had been wandering her sleeping form, perhaps that's why he didn't notice. Cloud reached out and brushed the back of his fingers across her blushing cheek. "Hey."

"I've...I've never done this before," she began after biting her lip, searching his eyes with her carmine ones.

"Neither have I," he replied, nodding at what she was saying. Going home with someone from the bar and having mindblowing sex while drunk was new to him, too. She was fidgeting under the sheets, and a wave of guilt washed over him. _Was she saying…_

Her lips on his made his fears vanish, caressing his mouth slowly with a few kisses with her hand on his chest when she got closer to him. His hand was going through her hair, down her back and up her arm, cupping her shoulder with a small squeeze as her lips moved with his. "You look worried, but you don't need to be Cloud," she whispered before kissing him again. "Last night was special to me."

"Same here." He wasn't much for words, but he confirmed it was mutual. Last night meant the world to him, but how he had to get there was starting to plague him. Bits and pieces of the earlier events the night before were becoming clear to him after all the drinking that occurred. Cloud had lied to her about his line of work to avoid shame. And now Tifa was still here, in his arm...how was he going to tell her? He was a lowly Shinra grunt for far too long than most candidates trying for the SOLDIER program. Now he was stagnant in Second Class when he should've been in First by now. Zack was accepted after the first test, while he failed and had to wait his turn. He was only pretending to be important, and once she knew the truth it would ruin everything from their night.

"Cloud? Are you okay?" Tifa questioned him, holding the sheet to her chest as she sat up, staring at him. He felt like a lost cause with her.

"Yeah, yeah I am," he shrugged off while looking for his pants. "Let's get you something to eat."

"Can you hand me my dress first? I mean, I know you've seen me, but…" Tifa's face reddening, shyly looking away as he got put a shirt over his chest. He chuckled while he tossed her the scarlet ensemble that was forgotten on the floor the night before.

To him, she was beautiful even while being very demure with him.

* * *

His keys jiggled as he twisted them into the lock, opening the door to his apartment with a swing. Last night was quite the celebration for his girlfriend, but he had to get back home to rest before setting off on a mission tonight. Zack was thankful for the hangover remedies that Aerith had on hand, or the early morning call from Lazard wouldn't have gone over well. This morning was supposed to be more perfect for them…

Stepping into his apartment, he could very well see it was perfect for two other people instead. A girl he recognized in the arms of his best friend, kissing him. Finally, Spiky got laid!

"When I said I would be hoping to see more of you again Tifa, I wasn't expecting it to be so soon," Zack called out with a grin. The brunette shied away from kissing Cloud, covering her mouth with her hand as she her face go beet red.

"Umm...hi, Zack," she greeted sheepishly, avoiding his gaze as she tucked her arm under her elbow. She still had the red dress on from the night before, but had a white button up shirt over it, tied in the front. A fashion trick Zack used himself in the past when a girl would spend the night so she wouldn't look so out of the ordinary on her walk home in the early morning. Especially when love marks were apparent on a female's skin and needed to be covered up.

Oh yeah, he most certainly got laid.

"Hi Zack, you're back early," Cloud said while scratching the back of his head.

"I should probably get going," Tifa stated, tucking a loose strand of chocolate hair behind her ear. Giving the blond a quick smile, she continued. "Call me?"

"He will," Zack intervened, grinning while adding a wink towards the shy girl. "I will make sure of it."

She giggled while Cloud rolled his eyes back at him, passing by him as he escorted Tifa to the door. Zack observed his friend linger at the door for a moment, watching the girl walk down the hallway before closing the latch.

"So the old 'shirt over the dress' trick, huh?" Snapping his fingers at Cloud, who only looked back annoyed at what he was implying.

"I didn't want her to get cold," the blond dismissed, walking to the kitchen to pour himself a cup of coffee.

"Oh, so...nothing happened?" Zack probed again, noticing a discarded ebony shirt on the floor, his indigo eyes perking up at the bottles around the corner of the cabinet.

"Nothing that you're thinking."

"Sure looks like something happened," he called his friend's bluff, holding up the article of dark clothing in his hands. "I thought you would have more self control but then again, a girl you've been pinning for years went home with you last night."

"Zack…stop," Cloud muttered, letting out a deep breath in frustration, staring at him hard with cobalt eyes before taking a sip of his hot beverage.

"Just tell me you told her the truth, about your real job. Bending the truth until it breaks doesn't sit well with me," Zack stared back while placing his palms flat on the counter. "I know Tifa means more to you than just a lay."

"She does…" he clarified in a low tone.

"Then why lie to her?" He fought back. Seeing the grimace on his friend's face, he pushed forward again. "Is this still about your days as a Shinra grunt? She won't care about that from what I've heard, what I've seen."

"I had to work hard to get where I'm at—"

"And that makes you better than the rest of us in First!" Zack threw his hand in front of him for emphasis, standing upright to face his stubborn friend.

"—but I still fall short, Zack," he said while placing the mug down on the counter before walking away. "And I'm going to tell her after I get back from the mission."

"Wait, you're being deployed too?"

"I'm assisting for backup for the monster infestation near Kalm."

* * *

"Cloud, everything is gonna be okay! Just hang on," Zack called to him. At least it sounded like him. His voice was a mixture of hope and worry. He couldn't see anything, but he heard a couple car doors close above his head after he was moved while on a flimsy bed with wheels.

_Was he on a gurney? Was he injured? Was he at...the hospital?_

The last thing he remembered was a haze of green mist upon the final blow against the giant emerald monster with no face, except for the plump red lips and white sharp teeth. Cloud threw the sword to split the head in half, but the Marlboro had one last trick left, and slashed his abdomen with a whip of its tentacle. After that it was a blank, but if that happened he would be in pain right now. There was no pain.

"Zack, you have to step back," an older man said. "We need to treat him quickly so the poison won't spread any further."

"All right, all right," Zack obliged, his voice sounding far away from where he was.

"Urgh," he moaned, rolling his head to the side.

"Cloud, can you hear me? You're back at HQ in the infirmary, safe and sound." It was the same male voice.

He opened his eyes, seeing cream colored ceiling tiles zip by above him with a ceiling light blinding him every few seconds. The doctor above him looked panicked as he continued to move him down the hallway, turning the gurney into a private medical room. Cloud recognized the middle-aged man from past injuries of his.

"Yeah…Dr. Hollander, I can."

"I need that new nurse practitioner in here! Stat!" The older doctor yelled towards the door, grabbing a small handheld light from his lab coat pocket. Taking the device he shined the light into his mako eyes, giving him a quick exam before moving onto placing a heart monitor on his chest. Unzipping the sweater vest the doctor stuck the tabs to his skin in a few spots, turning on the monitor next to him. "The blindness finally wore off, that's good."

"How bad is it?" Cloud groaned, trying to sit up until a wave of pain rang out in his stomach. Placing his hand over the sight of pain, his fingers touching blood that seeped through cotton cloth under his ribs. He threw his head back, clamping his mouth shut due to the severe tenderness that suddenly became apparent.

"Pretty bad. You got an open abdominal wound with Marlboro spikes lodged in," Dr. Hollander explained, grabbing gauze on a tray next to him for the injury. The doctor lifted his hand to dab the cloth at the dripping wound that was irritated by his movement. "Don't worry though, we're gonna get those out."

Grimacing, he managed to nod at his doctor friend. Releasing a deep breath, he asked, "soon?"

"Cloud, what're you doing here?"

Her voice was clear and light, bringing his searing pain to a halt by just speaking. Cloud could recognize her sweet tone anywhere, but was hoping his mind was playing tricks on him because of the poison coursing through his veins. But there she was, standing there at the foot of his bed in pure shock at the sight of him, injured. Injured in a SOLDIER hospital, wearing a military uniform of Second Class. She was dressed in blue scrubs, a name tag attached to her shirt pocket and a stethoscope around her neck.

"Tifa?" A wave of nausea was taking over, his vision becoming blurry as the room spun. Clenching his chest he began to black out, but not before hearing the racy beeping of the monitor ringing through the room or his name being yelled.

* * *

**Author's Note Continued:** I'm so happy everyone has been enjoying this new story. It's more than I was expecting, and I was actually apprehensive about even posted it at first. I'll be working on the plot more for this piece but in the meantime, besides _Don't Think Twice_ my next story update will be for _Play the Game_. Please be patient in the meantime, and thank you all so much!


	4. A Young Heart and Mind

**Disclaimer: **_Final Fantasy VII_ with the characters, items, places, etc. are the property of _Square Enix, Inc_. No infringement is intended.

**Author's Note: **Prompt for _**Tifa Week 2019**_ for the _Tifa Stan Club_ on _Tumblr_**.** I picked "Alternative Universe" for the July 30th prompt.

Well, I updated way sooner than I said, but I had to for _Tifa Week _since I had planned to do a chapter focused on her past. Over 7000 words, the most I've ever written in all of my stories for a single chapter. This latest chapter had me pretty nervous to write too with Tifa's developing feelings as a teenager, taking me three weeks to get just right.

I've had so much feedback and love for this story, including inspiring a new story from one of the readers, _**theClosetPoet7**_! Go read _**The Honeybee Inn**_ when you get a chance to if you enjoy this story. Shoutout to _**Denebola Leo**_, a great friend and author, for betaing this story. Thanks again and please review!

The title of the story was inspired by Utada Hikaru's song "Final Distance".

**-. Final Distance .-**

**Chapter IV: A Young Heart and Mind**

"_I can't believe he just dumped me the way he did," Tifa muttered while hugging the lilac plush pillow and sitting at the head of her bed. Saturday was her seventeenth birthday, and they had their planned romantic date. Come Sunday night, her boyfriend comes knocking on her door to dump her. "I mean, his reasons were so stupid for doing so. Why is he so jealous of Cloud? Of course, I talk to him about all my friends, including you. So why is it a big deal I mention Cloud now and then?" The brunette shrugged at the absurdity. _

"_Well, probably because I'm not a real threat to Trey," Rinoa explained while placing her hand on her chest, pulling the ring on her chain necklace that rested on her pale yellow summer dress. She came over immediately after school after being told at lunch about the breakup, but none of their classes overlapped on Mondays to discuss any further. She was very angry to hear when Trey chose to do this. "The real question though is, why wouldn't he be jealous of Cloud? You talk about him like any girl would with a crush." _

_The tops of her cheeks tinted pink as she looked away at what her friend was implying. First Trey, and now Rinoa? "Cloud and I are friends, nothing more…" _

"_Come on Tifa, it's just you and me right now! I've seen the way you look at him at times, how your smile changes when he's around. It's okay to have a crush on your friend."_

"_But I don't like Cloud like that, and he doesn't like me," Tifa tried to reiterate to her friend sitting at the other end of her bed. When she was younger she had a crush, but that was many years ago. She didn't feel that way anymore. _

"_Oh he most certainly does. And why are you bringing up how he may feel?"_

"_Because it's not like that between us!" the brunette shouted. _

_Rinoa just giggled back. "That's exactly what I said about Squall." _

_Tifa did remember that, and the two have been going steady for nearly a year now. But she never teased her friend like this about Squall. Rinoa realized what she wanted and was eventually forward about it. Not that she herself was in denial. She was highly aware of what her feelings for Cloud were: just friends. But she had to ask. "Why are you pushing Cloud on me?"_

_"Push? You guys are almost joined at the hip!"_

"_Rinoa—"_

"_Oh! It would be amazing if you two went to prom together!" The dark-haired girl stood up fast at the idea, before turning around to continue. Clearly, Tifa's dismissal about her platonic feelings on her male friend was being ignored. "You _are _still going, right?"_

"_Well yeah, my dress is already ordered…" She tugged at the hair behind her ear, thinking about going with her friend. Tifa went to one dance before with him, in eighth grade for the winter formal. Her classmates made a big deal that a freshman boy took her to a junior high event, most of the girls jealous of Tifa. To her it seemed rather silly, as they went as friends. Maybe they could again, as friends…_

"_See, you're thinking about it now. You dating Cloud," Rinoa speculated loudly, a radiant smile spreading across her face._

"_You're going on a date with Cloud?!" her mother called from the hallway, opening the ajar door to her bedroom even more. Her mother was the spitting image of her, just older and more dignified. She stood next to her friend, looking giddy about the idea. _

"_No Mom, I'm not," Tifa groaned with exhaustion. Over the years her mom would try to push the dream of her daughter dating her friend's son. It was just a hopeful wish she didn't want to listen to now that she was recently single. _

"_See? Karin is on 'Team Cloud' too," Rinoa pointed out cheerfully. _

_Her and Cloud, together? Tifa just rolled her eyes at the two giggling women in her room. It wasn't like that between them. _

* * *

_It became a traditional pastime for them a few years ago. Their mutual friends weren't interested in the film they picked or hated how they had to talk through the whole movie on opening night. So then it was decided, after reviewing the upcoming movies they would go view it together on Wednesday night instead. Tonight was the newest monster film remake from Wutai, a favorite from their childhood, Gojira. _

_Tifa had watched the older films when she was younger with her father, and was excited to see the giant moth goddess Mosura join the fight against the three headed thunder dragon King Hydra. Sitting next to Cloud in the nearly empty theater provided the two friends some privacy to chit chat here and there without disturbing others with their nostalgia. _

_Seeing the serpent god awaken on screen as Gojira stepped into the picture, Tifa's excitement grew, hoping to see her all time favorite get action. "Where is Mosura?"_

"_Still in her cocoon, you know that," Cloud tilted his head over as he answered her, taking a few bites of popcorn. They only saw very little of Mosura in the opening of the film, getting giddy to see her majestic wingspan open before flying off to hide in a waterfall. _

"_But she's the best, she should be here!" Tifa pointed to the screen before she grabbed a few kernels to pop into her mouth. _

"_This is the first kaiju fight in the movie. She's probably going to be there near the end, to save the day for Gojira like she always does," he tried calming her down, reaching for his drink after doing so. _

_Before she could respond, Gojira had chomped off one of the heads to the three headed dragon, making her eyes go wide. King Hydra had flown back in pain, a safe distance away to regenerate its head by pushing a new one through the injured neckhole immediately. The shot was up close to this rebirth, the sound being a little too grostique for Tifa's ears on the speakers inside the theater. Turning her face she hid into Cloud's shoulder while covering her ears from the hideous sound effects. _

"_Are you _really _scared?" Cloud asked, laughing at her. _

"_I'm not scared! That's just gross! Tell me when it's over. Please," she buried her face further against him, her eyes tightly shut. _

_He chuckled again. "Okay, it's safe now."_

_Lifting her head slowly hers eyes met soft sapphire focused on hers. His eyes were brilliant and pure, completely genuine with his gaze but somehow she could feel her heart picking up a bit. Holding her breath, Tifa was confused why her body was reacting this way. They were friends, and their faces were merely inches apart as they...fixated on each other. _

_As a heavy silence settled between them, Cloud lifted a golden eyebrow at her before he spoke. "Is everything...okay?" _

_Before she could feel the heat take over her cheeks Tifa quickly turned her attention back to the film. "E-everything's fine."_

_Everything was fine, wasn't it? Of course it was. Her heart just needed to slow down a bit, that's all. _

* * *

"_Hey, I need to talk to you about something," Cloud said as he sat across from her inside the library. Tifa was almost finished with her note taking for her history class, writing her keywords down efficiently across the white paper notebook. _

"_Sure," she replied, marking the page in her textbook and flipping it close. "What's up?" _

"_How come everyone is saying we're dating now?" he began, speaking awkwardly as he shifted his eyes._

"_I-I, um, wouldn't know," Tifa stuttered, feeling perplexed as soon as he asked. She leaned further back in her chair, slightly slouching. "People are...saying that?" _

"_Yeah. Rumor has it that I stole you from Trey. Weird, isn't it?" Cloud chuckled lightly until he noticed her discomfort. "Hey, is everything okay?"_

_He was making light of the situation, but the rumor was somewhat true with her ex-boyfriend's unfounded jealousy. Her face paled as she stared at the blank space on the study table between them. _

"_Umm." Chewing on her bottom lip for a moment, she began glancing around the library. She spotted a few classmates pointing to them whole whispering, making her cheeks now tinge pink. Tifa didn't want to be a topic of gossip, but it seemed she was now. Trey did dump her partly because of Cloud but she wasn't about to tell him that. The rumor mill in high school was always brutal. "Actually...Trey dumped me," she replied quickly, rubbing a stray lock behind her ear. _

"_He dumped you? Since when?" Cloud loudly whispered as he leaned across the table. His blue eyes clear with concern as he searched her face. _

_Tifa turned away, feeling fazed. She didn't want him to make a big deal out of this, because she didn't want him to know what the cause of the breakup was: him. "Sunday night. I-I'm fine Cloud, really...so don't worry about me."_

"_He did that to you after your birthday? Can I ask what happened?" _

"_He just said he wasn't that into me anymore." She told half the truth. He didn't need to know the other half. _

"_Why...didn't you tell me? You seemed fine on Wednesday night..." _

"_I...honestly didn't want to talk about it. Or him. I mean...if he can just dump me so easily he isn't worth anymore of my time, right?"_

"_Right…I never liked him anyway," he stated as he sneered. _

_It seems that Trey never liked him back either. Hearing the chime for the end of her study period, Tifa grabbed her books and placed them into her cardinal red backpack. _

"_So how does some ice cream sound?" Cloud asked gently. "Ice cream always makes guy problems better, right?"_

_Tifa giggled at his offer, knowing what he was getting at. Just trying to be a friend in need right now, and it honestly made her smile that he was trying. "I'm meeting Rinoa in the cafeteria for lunch. You can join us if you want, but you'll probably have to buy her ice cream, too."_

"_Sounds like a plan," he accepted her invite as he pushed out of his chair, hoisting his backpack up on his lone shoulder. They walked in a matched pace to the cafeteria along with the crowd, some giving them a second glance as they passed by. It was rather silly to her that people would gossip about her and Cloud like this, though. He was a good friend, and he'd make a good boyfriend, but he definitely wasn't her boyfriend. _

_Wait...what did she just think, he'd be a good boyfriend? Certainly he would...but not in any notion of being with her did she think that. Any girl would be lucky to be with Cloud. Genuinely sweet and good looking, with a heart of gold like his hair. He was a catch for any girl that liked him. Any girl but her, as she didn't think of him that way, nor would she want to. _

_Tifa cherished Cloud as a dear friend, nothing more. Growing up together they were practically family with how close their mothers were. Nothing romantic had ever happened between them, so there was no way he may have had feelings. It was the same for the both of them: just friends. If it weren't for the words of her mother and Rinoa she wouldn't be so confused lately. This rumor about them didn't help either as her heart beat anxiously in her chest. _

_She placed her palm over her chest to calm herself down. Side glancing Cloud as they continued to walk, she had to ask herself: this was just nerves from the school gossiping about them, right? Why her heart was reacting this way? _

* * *

_That Saturday afternoon she pulled up into the driveway, feeling tired after both the morning and lunch rush of the Seventh Heaven diner. All she wanted to do was get out of her black polo shirt and pants and take a shower before meeting up with Rinoa tonight. Tifa already had her dress for prom, while her friend did not. _

_Grabbing her purse she climbed out of the car, deciding to go through the garage as the door was open. What she didn't expect was to see a man under her mother's car. Her father was out of town for business, but there was someone clinking and clanking away under the engine. Tifa approached slowly, seeing grease stained jeans and the bottom half of well-defined abs and tanned skin. Whomever her mother hired was in fine shape from her view. And what a view it was, she mused. _

"_Damn it," the familiar voice muttered._

"_Cloud?" Tifa squeaked, recognizing the voice of her friend. Her mother hired Cloud?! She couldn't believe she was unknowingly checking him out. Or he had even possessed that type of muscle tone. At least the approaching summer heat could be blamed for her blushing. The brunette would hate to be caught staring at him the way she was..._

"_Tifa, could you hand me the swivel oil wrench? It's the tool with the steel band on the end," he directed, sounding relieved she was there. _

_Going over the tool box she grabbed what she believed was the correct gadget for him to use. He snuck out a little bit to reveal his taut muscles, and she placed the device in his hand while darting her eyes away. Even his arms looked different…more capable…and strong. As soon as he grabbed it he scooted further back up under the car while she retreated to her father's work station. What was the matter with her? This was her friend. Friend! _

_She had seen him working in his yard without a shirt on before, but not this close up. Always from afar, where she wouldn't even give it a second thought. But it had been a long time since then with the weather changing from chilly spring to the warm summer. Maybe he started working out? Tifa started to imagine him lifting weights, his biceps flexing with each move. Her hands running over such toned, powerful muscles that could easily hold her. _

_Oh god. What the hell was she thinking too much into this? She shook her head. _

"_Thanks."_

"_Y-you're welcome," she stammered a bit, sitting on the blue cushioned stool as she cooled her thoughts. The chair was surprisingly comfortable, and she could see why her father could spend hours out here woodworking. She leaned into her hand that was propped up on the counter, covered in sawdust. "I wasn't expecting to see you here today." _

"_Karin called about changing the oil in her car. Says your dad forgot to do it before he left for Junon," he explained, then groaned when his hand slipped. "Ow." _

"_Are you okay?" Tifa got off the chair and kneeled down next to the sedan. _

"_Yeah, I'll be fine," he reassured her. "Just a small cut. I'll be out in a second." _

_Quickly she got back up on her feet and snatched the first aid kit that was stored on top of the refrigerator by the door. As she knelt back down on the concrete floor, Cloud fully wheeled back from under the car, adjusting himself to sit up. Tifa knew his claim of his injury being insignificant would be a lie, and she was right when she saw some blood seep through the dirty rag he already wrapped around his knuckles. _

"_Just a small cut?" she kindly mocked while grabbing his hand, undoing the makeshift bandage to reveal the mangled knuckle. Her brow creased as she assessed the damage. _

"_It's not as bad as it looks," Cloud countered, then quickly inhaled as she dabbed the alcohol wipes on his hand, his face grimacing as the disinfectant worked. "Do you have to use that stuff?"_

"_You used an oily rag on your 'small cut', Cloud," Tifa smartly replied. Inspecting the gash closer she saw it was fully clean, then moved on to dressing the wound with ointment and gauze. "I'm almost done."_

"_Thanks," he said while the corner of his mouth turned up. "You didn't have to do this, though."_

"_And have you only slap a bandaid on it? I don't think so," she teased while tsking at him. Tifa secured the dressing cloth in place with the medical tape, smoothing the bonding strip down with her fingers. "There, all done!"_

_Her lips lifted upward at him, as her eyes did while still holding his hand. His eyes twinkled from the mid afternoon sun pouring into the garage, his golden halo shining a bit under the light, too. Sitting there before her with his bare chest and perfectly chiseled abs, her mahogany eyes trailed the rippled muscles under his skin. _

_He was one beautiful specimen of a man..._

_Wait, hold on! _

_"Can I have my hand back now?" _

_Tifa turned bright red and released him, unable to say anything. Lifting herself back up to her feet, she turned away from him quickly as he stood up as well. He was her friend and she was staring at him, half naked, in her garage! Earlier she didn't want to be caught, and now she was. It was _his _fault though, shirtless and sweat glistening his skin. She needed to get into the house._

_However, her plans of escape was thwarted as her mother stepped out to join them. "Oh good, Tifa. You're home! I have your dress for prom inside the house for you to try on."_

"_Wait, you're still going to prom? Who is taking you?" Cloud questioned her, his tone a little shocked she was still attending the dance._

"_Umm…" She bit her lip, feeling embarrassed. Honestly, she had no date yet, and had given serious thought to ask him._

"_She's going to go by herself, but at least Rinoa and Squall will keep her company. Tifa has such a beautiful dress too," Karin offered the very unnecessary information to her friend. "It's a shame she hasn't asked anyone else to take her. Do you have a date for the prom, Cloud? Maybe you can take her."_

_Tifa covered her face with her hands, mortified by her mother's pushiness. Yes, it would be amazing to have someone take her, but to have her mom solicit a date for her was making her feel more pathetic than ever. She can get her own date if she wanted to, and if she wanted to ask Cloud, she wanted it to be while they were alone._

"_Actually, I do have a date."_

_Tifa blinked at the revelation, turning to him. Her palms started to sweat as her heart literally dropped to the floor._

_Cloud has a date? And he didn't tell her?_

"_Oh, really? What a shame," her mother grabbed her chin in mock disappointment. "If only my daughter didn't 'dilly dally' so much about this, she could've snatched you up instead!"_

"_Mom, I am _fine _with going with my friends!" Crossing her arms, she was miffed by her mom._

"_Tifa, this is your first prom and I really wanted to get some pictures before you go, in the traditional sense that is," Karin waved her hand as she continued on before smiling. "Cloud, would you be a dear and promise me to dance with Tifa that night? I picked a ball gown for her, and it needs to have _some _use."_

"_Mom, please!" Tifa begged her mother to stop embarrassing her. Now she was asking Cloud to pity her. And she was already disappointed with herself: it was too late to ask him._

"_Oh Tifa, the dress is meant to be for a princess, not a wallflower," her mother argued back._

"_Of course I will," Cloud cut in to save the two from further arguing. It was a known fact he had witnessed this mother daughter dynamic for years. "But Tifa, if I had known about Trey sooner I would've turned down Cissnei to take you."_

_Her face was even darker now. If she had been more forthcoming, he would've taken her? Now he had a date. And Cissnei was really pretty, much more feminine than she was with her wavy chestnut hair. Of course, Cloud would get such a beautiful girl for prom. "Oh, I see. I just...didn't want to talk about it."_

"_Yeah, I know," he scratched the back of his head. "I'll make sure you have fun that night. I promise."_

_And just like that her heart was back up, pumping loudly in her chest. "Thanks, Cloud." _

* * *

"_You need to bust his date, right now," Rinoa put forward to Tifa again, for the third time that night. All three of them –the girls plus Squall– were sitting at one of the many round tables setup at prom, each covered with pearly white linens, golden candle pillars and royal blue flowers for centerpieces. Tifa chose to ignore her suggestion, instead fixing the skirt of her navy blue dress as she crossed her legs over. Her gown was long and shimmered under the lights with its sequins, with off shoulder sleeves and a heart shaped cut at the top that hugged her curves. _

"_He should be here with you, not Cinnamon," she tried again. Rinoa was super pushy about this tonight, but she knew it was because she was here without a date while her friend was. Squall seemed to enjoy just sitting by her side while sipping on his lemon lime soda quietly. They should be dancing, not keeping her company. The dress Rinoa wore was a periwinkle v-neck with a flowy chiffon skirt. Tifa helped her picked it out, with the silver studded belt that wrapped around the waistline. _

"_Her name is Cissnei," Tifa corrected as she played with her corsage. Much to her surprise, Cloud dropped by her house before the dance to give her the flower arrangement. Her mom was thrilled by the sweet gesture, and ran to get her camera immediately and took pictures of the formal exchange most prom dates do. A few poses in front of the house, holding each other as if they were together. _

_Except that Cloud wasn't really her date. A dance later that night would happen, but only as a kind gesture from a friend. That's all it was between them, even though she started to feel more towards him lately. She began to look at him differently since that one Saturday afternoon in her garage. Her corsage was red roses, sprinkled with white baby's breath and enveloped around her hand with navy blue ribbon. Upon seeing him on her front porch, dressed in a fine black tuxedo, when she saw the gift he held her heart skipped a beat. The color of the ribbon, it was the same as her dress, which she had never mentioned to him. _

"_If you're thinking he doesn't care for you in return, you're wrong Tifa," the raven-haired girl leaned forward and grabbed her hand wrapped in the flowery circlet around her wrist. "Look at this. He picked red roses, for you!"_

"_He was just being nice to me. It doesn't mean anything," Tifa argued, mostly to persuade herself rather the girl sitting across from her. It made her so happy he gave her such a beautiful corsage, but Rinoa didn't need to know that. _

"_Red roses mean 'romance and love'," Rinoa explained excitedly. "And I saw Cissnei's corsage. It's rather plain with yellow roses." She finished the latter part by scrunching up her porcelain face. _

"_So?"_

"_So...yellow means 'friendship'. Why did he get you the better corsage when he has a date here?" Her friend convincingly added. "Like I said, he should be here with you, not her."_

"_I just...I don't know what to do," Tifa confessed as her cheeks hued. Rinoa trusted her with her secret crush on Squall before they got together. And she honestly didn't know what to do in this territory. Liking your friend was really hard. She pursed her lips before confessing to her friend. "I like him...but I don't want to ruin our friendship."_

_Rinoa's smile just widened. "At least you can finally admit it. It only took years for you to do so," her friend pointed out._

_Tifa would've argued back, but she knew she'd be wrong. She was holding herself back from the truth, as she was too afraid to admit her feelings for Cloud. She liked him. A lot. And she wanted to be with him. His voice, his face, his everything was dwelling in her mind lately. Whenever he looked her way, she would blush and lose her words, feeling like a fool in front of him. Cloud both thrilled and terrorize her as he was more than a friend to her now, but she was petrified of just losing him entirely. These feelings...would change everything, and she couldn't risk it. _

_Her heart twisted and sunk with her nerves as she thought about it, her troubles clear on her face as Rinoa softened up. "Hey Teef, you don't have to say anything to him tonight. Just have fun with him when he asks you to dance. He promised you one, didn't he?" _

_She was smiling a little now, remembering the small vow he made in front of her mom. Cloud always kept his word. "Yeah, yeah he did."_

_Rinoa looked past Tifa quick, then leaned further forward as a slow song started to play on the sound system. "We're gonna go dance now. Don't react, but looks like your guy is heading this way for you." _

_Her cardinal eyes widened a bit, trying to stay still as she was left alone to act cool and collected. She had been looking forward to this moment all night, and it was finally going to happen. To be close with Cloud, him holding her under the lights as the music played. _

_The hair on the back of her neck raised when she heard him approach her from behind, and then stopped. She pretended to not notice him, staying still to wait for him. After a pregnant pause that began to worry her, he tapped on her shoulder gently, making her heart stop. She turned around slowly to him, unable to breathe while still managing to give him her biggest smile at the sight of him once more. Dark colors really did look good on him. _

_Holding out his hand, he smiled down at her. "How about that dance I promised you?"_

_Grabbing his hand, she accepted with a nod as he helped her out of her chair, like the perfect gentleman. "Yeah."_

_Escorting her to the dance floor, he brought her in closer, placing his hand gently on her lower back as he still clasped her hand, holding it up properly. As he stepped closer, he calmly asked, "is this okay?" _

"_Mmhmm," she slowly nodded back, her heart picking up its pace just as they began to sway to the rhythm. Placing her other hand on his shoulder, she allowed him to take the lead. Surprisingly, Cloud seemed to know what he was doing this time. At her winter formal years ago he stumbled a bit with his steps. Tifa let out a soft giggle at the memory._

"_What's so funny?" Cloud asked, his curiosity perked. _

"_Just thinking of our last dance. You've gotten better," she sheepishly explained, concentrating on the lapel of his dark tuxedo. _

"_Mom taught me when Karin told her about the promise." Slowly he began to twirl her, taking her a little off guard by the move. Tifa followed his lead smoothly as her heart fluttered more through the graceful twist. Out and back to him, her hand landed softly back to his shoulder again. Claret eyes connecting to his stunning sapphire that twinkled playfully under the ballroom lights. _

_"How was that? Mom would want feedback." As he delivered the question a smug smirk appeared, making Tifa immediately think how cute he was with his confidence._

"_Good. It...was good," she couldn't help but smile, her cheeks starting to color a bit. Right now, the only person that mattered was right in front of her._

"_Do you mind if I cut in?" _

_Her face fell a bit. That voice…_

_Tifa glanced to her side and saw another blond man, but with shoulder length hair and a scowl on his face as his blue eyes darted between the two. Seriously...he was the one that dumped her! She went to open her mouth to tell Trey to 'get lost' just as her dancing partner let her go, releasing his hold from her back to block her off from her ex. _

"_Actually, I do mind," Cloud stated, the two men warring each other with their own icy glares. _

_Her eyes widened at his act of chivalry, his assertiveness against her ex-boyfriend. Cloud wasn't a man of many words, but what he said just now resonated her feelings even more for him. He was...protecting her. _

_She could feel it. Every pound of her heart beating in her chest as it echoed internally with excitement. As other students began to notice the scene brewing, Tifa clasped her hand firmly in his while touching his upper arm gently. "Cloud, lets go." _

_Cloud relented after a moment of continuing his stare down with her former boyfriend. Quietly, he pulled her away from the mass of teenagers who were either watching the two blond men about to clash over her or too busy dancing away to the upbeat music. Whisking her through the crowd, he stopped abruptly, almost causing her to slam into his shoulder. Tifa quickly stopped the impact with her hand resting on his arm again. _

_As he turned to face her he entwined his fingers with hers, squeezing her hand after doing so. His ultramarine eyes were so perfect as they pierced through her, standing there holding hands as they looked at each other. The way she was feeling was starting to scare her. All he was doing was holding her hand as he gazed into her, making her tremble. _

_No boy before had ever made her heart beat like a thousand fists, and Cloud has been around most of her life. She may have crushed on him back when she was merely thirteen, but now he was becoming a man. A handsome, sweet, and gallant man she was lucky to call a friend. And Tifa was downright afraid she would ruin it if she spoke her feelings for him. Maybe this was what made it more exciting? The stakes were awfully high. _

"_Do you...wanna get out of here?" _

_Together? Alone? Tifa licked her lips nervously before answering. "But this is your last prom…what about Cissnei?"_

"_She didn't want me to dance with you, so she gave me an ultimatum: her or you," Cloud explained just as the corner of his mouth lifted up. "I picked you."_

_Tifa bit her bottom lip nervously as her skin began to tingle a bit. He picked...her?! Over his date? She was trying to calm her smile as she spoke. "You didn't have to do that." _

"_Tifa, you're my friend."_

Right. Friend… we are friends.

_But being alone with him would be fun. And she wanted that, even if they were just friends. Nodding, she brightened up her smile. "Let's get outta here." _

* * *

_It had been just over a week since prom night, and the last time she saw Cloud outside of school. After the two ditched the dance they went out for food and back to his house for a movie. Unfortunately the night ended with her being grounded. Tifa had fallen asleep on the couch with him and didn't wake up until later that morning. It was purely innocent, but her father was furious she was 'out all night with a boy', making it sound way more scandalous than necessary. Now she was stuck with a strict curfew halfway through her summer break. _

_At least she can work late at the diner, which could provide her the perfect excuse to see Cloud tonight. Earlier she had received a text message to meet him at the water tower, stating he had something rather important to tell her. Her heart raced as she read the message, making her a little hopeful of what it could be. The possibilities were endless, she thought as she climbed out of her car after parking it in the empty lot next to his. The shy brunette wasn't going to get many chances to see him much until she was ungrounded. Tomorrow is the last day of the school year, and his graduation the following after. Hopefully her mother could get her out of this so she can spend more time with Cloud and her other friends. _

_Tifa spotted the peculiar blond resting his back against the wooden planks of the round barrel. She hoped she hadn't kept him waiting long, but Cloud being here already made her heart anxiously skip a few beats. _

_The water tower was old and abandoned, near the edge of a local park where they played as children. Often times they climbed the tower, and just as often got in big trouble for it. Slowly she made her way up the rickety ladder, the piece of lumber wobbling a bit with each step. She would've been scared to climb, but Cloud calling her out here was even more intimidating to her. The night of their prom was so perfect together as soon as they got to dance, and she hadn't had much of a chance to see him alone since. Now she was risking being further punished for the boy next door. _

_Making it up to the platform, she scooted off the ladder with ease and greeted her friend with a big smile. "Hey there, I didn't keep you too long, did I?"_

_He gave her a crooked smirk back. "Nah, not too long. Are you sure this is okay? I don't want to get you in further trouble with your dad."_

"_I'll just tell him the diner kept me late. He really overreacted to the whole thing," Tifa sat down beside him, tucking her legs to the side. "Mom is trying to talk him out of it." _

"_It's my fault you got in trouble," Cloud shot back, throwing a stray stone off the tower. _

"_Don't say that, I fell asleep too," she pressed back. All they did was fall asleep on the couch after a movie, fully clothed. But her father freaked out about it. But the night meant a lot to her, remembering how warm and safe she felt that morning she woke up in his arms. Tifa could still recall the scent of his cologne and his hands intimately holding her. Looking away, she hid her blush that was blooming on her cheeks. "Let's not talk about Dad." _

_Cloud just grunted in return. _

_They sat in comfortable silence under the stars, which were like a beautiful, surreal blanket above them. Twinkling back as scattered fairy dust across the night sky. Tifa could feel his soft breaths by her side, as she was now resting her head on his shoulder watching the stars with him. _

_He reached for her hand gingerly, his touch was soft and tender as his fingers laced with hers. "I have something to tell you…" _

"_Mmhmm." Tifa squeezed his hand back, smiling at his sweet gesture. _

_He took a deep breath before he began. "I got into the Soldier program. I'm leaving for Midgar on Sunday." _

_Her heart sank. A lump formed in her throat. Her chest tightened as her deep red eyes misted over. "Oh…" _

He was leaving. Cloud was leaving…

"_...I probably won't be able to come back home for a while. At least, not until I make First Class." _

_The thought of not seeing him for years made her sniffle. She was aware of how competitive the program was, strict and very ambitious for any man. Over the last few months he had talked about attending the community college and moving onto a university afterwards. Tifa thought they had time, that he called her out here for something else. _

"_Tifa, are you okay?" _

"_Yeah, it's...just a little shocking. This is the first time you ever mentioned Midgar," she explained calmly. _

"_I applied back in March. If I didn't get in, I didn't want anyone to know," Cloud ran a hand through his pale locks. "I've been training...so I'll make it to the top fast."_

"_And then you'll...come back?" Tifa was on the brink of crying and blinked rapidly to hold back her tears. She lifted her head up to look at him, her heart quickly beating inside her chest. _

_His eyes caught hers, sweet cobalt that was bright as the stars. "Yeah…"_

"_Promise me?" _

"_I promise." _

_Tilting her head up, she had no idea what compelled her to do so but she softly placed her lips on his cheek. Time had stopped, and her heart finally came to a halt by the action she took. She lingered there as her mouth tingled against his skin, unable to breath. Never before had she kissed him, even an innocent peck on his face. Really, what had come over her all of a sudden? Cloud was leaving, and made a vow to return. Leaning back she darted her eyes away, looking at their locked hands instead. _

"_What was that for?" He sounded a little taken aback by her gesture. Surprised, yet in a happy way? She couldn't tell. _

_Tifa couldn't believe how bold she was just now, but had no regrets. A grin formed on her face as she said the first thing that came to her mind. "For luck." _

"_Thanks, I'm gonna need it." _

_Giggling nervously she looked up at him again, hypnotized by the look in his serene eyes. They were...amative? Whatever it was, his cobalt orbs were intense, staring down at her. His breath tickled the tip of her nose. Was he...leaning in? Or was she leaning in? Tifa shivered as she kept looking up at him with a half-lidded gaze. She tried to calm herself, to not give away her own anticipation as he was still holding her hand. _

_Was Cloud really going to kiss her? She would pinch herself to see if she was dreaming, but if she really was she wouldn't want to miss out on any kiss by him. Tifa closed her eyes, and waited. _

_And her cell phone rang, vibrating harshly in her pocket. Red eyes popped open, she could now see Cloud was sitting straight up, looking ahead and away from her. His eyes were now closed as he let out a deep breath through his nose, his hand moved away from her. _

_What she thought was possibly happening really couldn't be what it was. Was her mind playing tricks? Was she overthinking it with the beautiful stars and devout promise tonight? Scrambling for her phone, she answered the blasted device that would dare interrupt them. _

"_Tifa?!" Her father yelled over the phone. His impeccable timing, his overprotectiveness..._

"_Uh, hi Dad," she answered weakly. _

"_Where are you? Aren't you supposed to be home by now?" He bellowed to her across the line. _

"_I got caught up working late. I sent mom a text message," Tifa somewhat lied. She side glanced Cloud as she still held the phone to her ear, trying to read him. He could probably hear how upset her father was by how he had crossed his arms and was pinching the bridge of his nose. She always felt so guilty of his dislike towards Cloud, one of her dearest friends. _

"_So you're not with _that boy _again?" _

"_No Dad, I'm not. I'll be on my way home soon, okay?" Now she was outright lying. After some small talk and a quick goodbye, she hung up the phone and turned back to Cloud. "Sorry about that." _

"'_That boy', huh?" he muttered. They both never truly understood it. Her father never reacted this way about any other boy around her, not even ones that she dated. An accident occurred while they were children that made him more protective of her. If it wasn't for Cloud, she would've been in worse shape. Their two mothers saw that, but not her father. _

_Tifa looked between their hands, clutching hers closed as the cold night breeze swept by. Her hand was so warm in his, and she wished she had a longer moment with him. But what she thought was going to happen really couldn't be what it was. It was impossible. It was just wishful thinking on her part._

"_Cloud, I have to go." _

"_I know you do." _

_Her eyes fell. Cloud sounded so dejected with his words. If she stayed she risked not being able to see him any further, and with how little time he had left in town she couldn't do that. "I'll see you tomorrow, Cloud." _

_He nodded in return, giving her a weak smile. _

_Waving goodbye, she moved to start descending down the ladder. Tifa had no idea how she made it to her car, as wet tears were now trailing down her cheeks. Her eyes had begun to overflow as soon as she had made it safely to the ground. It wasn't a surprise to her she was crying. It was a surprise at how her heart ached as much as it did with everything closing in on her. He was leaving, and she wasn't going to see him for a long time. Rubbing the tears from her eyes she turned on the engine before looking at the water tower once more. _

_Part of her wanted to run out of the car and kiss him herself, but the sensible part told her not to. He wasn't going to kiss her tonight, which meant only one thing: he was not interested. All she would do was be rejected and make things awkward for her friend before he left. _

_Not only was she losing her best friend, but she…_

_Placing a hand over her chest, she realized what the heart of the matter truly was. _

_She loved him. These newfound feelings she had for Cloud that terrorized her so much was because she was in love with her best friend. And he was moving away, and she'll never get to tell him. Never at least try to be something more. This was what it always was, was love. _

_And now she was heartbroken._

* * *

**_Author's Note Continued:_** What an ending! It makes me quite sad that Tifa was too late with her realization, but we all know she really wasn't in the end. The scenes in between each one in this update that were mentioned, i.e. Cloud and Tifa leaving prom and the night sleeping on his couch, will be written from Cloud's POV for his chapter. I am not holding out on any fluff with these two, just delaying it for a purpose. Thanks again for reading and let me know your thoughts on the chapter about _young love_!


	5. Never Too Late

**Disclaimer: **_Final Fantasy VII_ with the characters, items, places, etc. are the property of _Square Enix, Inc_. No infringement is intended.

**Author's Note: **Prompt for _**Cloti Fall Festival 2019**_ by the _FinalHeaven Discord Server_. This chapter is for the prompt, "_Free Day_," and picks up right where we left off with both Cloud and Tifa at the end of _Chapter 3: Revelations_. I went back and named the chapters, if you haven't noticed yet.

I wasn't even planning on making an update on this story anytime soon, but here I am with a surprise update for _ClotiWeek_. I dedicate this update to _**theClosetPoet7**_, who was inspired to write a wonderful oneshot, and her upfront love she has shown for this story. I also dedicate this update to _**kelleyj17**_, who has been dying to know the aftermath of the small lie told by Cloud, and _**Caramel Van Gog**_h who re-read this story multiple times in one night. Also, much gratitude to _**Denebola Leo**_ for being the beta reader on my entry.

_**Alcantis, SkyRaisin, beaucoup riant, Bmonti, Ginocide02, red shoulder85, Mgiep96, Trngh, evanescentblaze, hapiflower, Hero Entertainment, tabark, Fantasies and Realities, Junia Grey, Dog's Paw Burning In Hot Ash, MisakiRaine07, MysticNatsu02, SUPAfast JeLLyFisH, nantia12,**_ and _**Denebola Leo**_ for your reviews, favorites, and kind patience in my update!

The title of the story was inspired by Utada Hikaru's song "Final Distance".

Now...what happened when Tifa found out Cloud was actually a member of Soldier?

**-. Final Distance .-**

**Chapter V: Never Too Late**

His skin was pale and clammy, his gash trickling blood with red soaked gauze overlying the cut. Cloud laid there motionless on the hospital bed before her, his dark blue vest mangled and his belt torn, the rapid beeping of the monitor that turned to a monotonous tone becoming distant to her.

_Why is he here?_

"Cloud, stay with us!" the older man shouted at him, unzipping the sweater top on the patient, exposing his chest.

_Why is Cloud...wearing that uniform?_

"Lockhart, he's in V-Fib. Get the pads ready. You're going to bring him back," Dr. Hollander instructed.

"Me? But he's––"

"He's not gonna die, you can do this," the older man reassured her, his amber eyes connecting to hers, affirming his belief in her abilities while stepping away from Cloud. "This is normal in patients with poison, got it?"

"Yes, Doctor," she nodded, pulling the crash cart next to him, flipping the switch on the defibrillator. With the pads in each of her hands, she took a deep breath while placing each part of the mechanism under his collarbone and armpit. "Charge to 200!"

After the whirring sound effect could be heard, she pushed the buttons to send the electric current through his body, making his torso pop up in response. Seconds passed and no change in pulse, her hands shaking a bit, but she tried to keep them steady.

"Lockhart, go again."

The night before she could feel the beat of his heartbeat speed up as they made love, as they kissed. Now she's hoping to start his heart again. Biting her lip she blinked back a few tears. "Charge to 350!"

_BEEP. _

_BEEP. _

_BEEP._

"And we have sinus back. See?"

She let out a huge sigh of relief, lifting the paddles from his chest to put them away in their holsters. Pushing the crash cart back in the corner, Tifa wiped a few tears from her eyes in secret. She always figured her first time resuscitating a patient would be hard, but she wasn't prepared for this.

"He's gonna need a wound cleanse before the stitches, as it's not deep enough for actual surgery," Dr. Hollander briefly ordered, checking the blond's pupils one more time. "But before that, get two units of antidote setup with his IV. Can you handle that?"

"Yes, I can," Tifa smiled as best as she could when she turned around, grabbing a tray and the necessary supplies from the cabinet. _This is my first day_, she thought as she scrubbed her hands in the sink. She couldn't ask to be unassigned from her case, risking looking weak or problematic to her superior. Before she had turned back to attend the patient, the doctor had left the room to move onto others in need, leaving her alone with an unconscious Cloud.

_Cloud…_

She pushed the tray trolley over to the side of the hospital bed.

_Are you in Soldier?_

Next, a stool with wheels was pulled over to sit in, then moving his hand over the base of his rib cage so she may begin suturing the wound,

_Why did you say you were a business apprentice the other night? _

Taking the tweezers, she pulled the bits of Marlboro thorns out meticulously, each piece tinking as it landed in the metal tin next to her.

_Why did you lie to me?_

A piece of gauze dipped in antiseptic at the end of the locking forceps sponge tool, she coated the edges of the open laceration in the clear liquid, just as she was taught in her wound cleansing classes.

_Did you lie about anything else that night?_

Placing the surgical thread at the end of the needle holder, she pierced into his skin to begin closing the deep cut.

_Why didn't you come back if you made it in Soldier?_

After the gash was proficiently closed, Tifa placed gauze and medical tape over the sutures for healing.

_Why didn't you come back like you promised me? _

"Ti...fa…"

His voice startled her, but he seemed to be regaining consciousness as his face twitched, his head rolling against the pillow with his eyes still closed. She was beginning to think she might not have even mattered if he couldn't uphold his promise to her, and here he was, calling her name in his sleep. The hand below his chest tightened as he spoke in his sleep again.

"Tifa…c-can't know."

_Why can't I? What is it that I can't know?_

His eyes started out as tiny squints, a small groan escaping his lips as his vision adjusted to the brightness of the room. She wanted to leave, pretend this never happened, but she had a job to do. Her personal life falling into work, the hurt she was feeling from his lying, it was too much to bear inside. But right now, his health was her responsibility.

His brilliant blue eyes widened when he recognized her. "Tifa, what're you doing here?"

"That was my question earlier for you," she laughed nervously, fidgeting with her nametag. "I work here."

"Oh," his eyes fell into the space between them, sounding defeated. "I didn't know your medical internship was with Shinra."

"And I didn't know your business apprenticeship was with Shinra either," she couldn't help but snip, immediately regretting how bitter she sounded. "I'm sorry."

He pushed his hand through his wild hair. "Don't be," he sighed. "I guess you have a ton of questions for me..."

"I do," Tifa pulled the stethoscope from around her neck when she stood up. "On a scale of one to ten, what is your pain level?"

"What?" His eyes were perplexed at what she asked as if he expected something way more personal.

"Your pain level? You were attacked by a Marlboro."

"Oh. An eight, I guess," he grimaced as he sat up slowly.

Tapping a few buttons on the IV drip machine next to him, she boosted his medication for comfort. "Can I listen to your heart and lungs?"

"Uh, sure?"

Placing the pad of the listening device on his chest, she instructed him to inhale, hold, and exhale a few times as she monitored for anything unusual. So far, they were clear. After she was done, she grabbed the tiny flashlight from her pocket to check his eyes. "Any black spots in your vision?"

"No," he blinked as she shined the light in his eyes, but adjusted quickly for her checkup.

Nothing unusual again, though she could totally see the Mako enhancements in his eyes now. Why didn't she notice the night before? They were always so bright, but these were different. She sighed as she finished up, sticking the light back in her pocket.

"I didn't think these were the questions you had in mind to ask me."

"They are for your medical care, Cloud," Tifa responded smartly. "Do you want me to be asking why you lied to me about your job? Because I could."

His mouth pursed into a thin line from her directed anger.

A lot happened that evening between them, both physical and emotional. The Cloud she knew wouldn't lie or try to elude a mistruth for his own gain. She wanted him that night, spoke from her heart to him, but the biggest question that plagued her mind was what it possibly meant to him. He wouldn't lie to her about...having the same feelings, would he? For the wrong reasons?

"I asked you if you made Soldier, and you told me you changed your mind. Are you lying to me about anything else from that night?"

He shook his head. "N-no. No, I swear," he murmured.

Tifa sighed in return, relieved there was no deceit about his feelings. Her mind had been cycling through emotions since she saw him resting there, of his intentions and true feelings, if they were pure or not. Cloud lying to her was not the Cloud she knew, and her heart held a wound if that night between them meant nothing but sex. Blinking through her tears, she tried to hold back the memories of her ex hurting her, using her physically and cheating on her when she couldn't live up to his expectations of her. It was not fair to the man in front of her thinking these thoughts, but she couldn't help it after being hurt so badly by Johnny.

She reached for his hand, feeling the calluses against her skin, which made more sense now with his career. He gripped hers back as his eyes filled with sorrow, making her heart swell. He had to care about her, and couldn't be lying about anything else.

Tifa sighed. "Cloud…"

"Cloud? You awake?" A familiar voice spoke as they knocked on the door. "Whoa, Tifa! What're you doing here?!"

_Those amethyst eyes...and raven hair. And that uniform…_

"Zack?!" Surprised, but the same anger and hurt was starting to take over. She had just asked if there was anymore to lies, and there weren't supposed to be. After all, the man backed up his story at the nightclub.

_Was it really just about sex to him? _She wanted it too, but because she had always loved him. Tifa missed her chance back then, and in her excitement, perhaps moved too fast. But her intentions were pure, and perhaps Cloud's intentions...weren't.

She was hurt again, giving herself to the wrong guy again.

The man who just walked in had his mouth agape while pointing his finger at her as she wore blue scrubs. "You work here?"

"Yes, she does, can you give us some privacy?" Cloud asked earnestly from his bed.

Releasing her hand from his, she rubbed the nape of her neck under her ponytail. "No other lies from that night, huh?"

"Tifa, wait—"

She snapped her ruby eyes to sapphire. "Cloud, I've had enough." And without looking back, she walked around the _other_ _Soldier_ and left the room.

She felt like a fool.

* * *

**Aerith:**_ I'm tied up in the lab today! Go visit Cloud on your lunch instead, sounds like he really needs a friend right now. _

Aerith felt bad about texting the excuse to get out of her date with her boyfriend last minute, but she had to do this now rather than later. She knew she had to do this on her own, based on what she heard, and she couldn't let Zack know what she was up to.

_ Ding. _ She read the response on her phone.

**Zack:** _Kk. Love you._

Setting course for the lounge, she walked past the mini food court to the dining area. She didn't find who she was looking for in the rows of open tables, but in the more private dining cubicles. Seeing the brunette in the periwinkle nurse uniform in the chestnut wooden table nook reading a book, Aerith smiled; this discussion could be done privately.

Setting her lunch bag on the table, the sound of the soft impact disturbed the woman quietly enjoying her salad and iced tea. "...Tifa?"

She raised a dark eyebrow at her as she set down her drink. "...And you are?"

"Nice to meet you. I'm Aerith."

"Your name sounds familiar..." The porcelain face of the woman showed a hint of recollection. "Are you—"

"I am a friend of Cloud's," she began as she pulled out her turkey wrap sandwich from her bag while sitting down. "And I wanted to talk to you about him."

"Oh, I see," she pursed her lips, leaning back in her chair. "I really don't want to talk about what happened."

"Listen, I don't agree with him lying to you! And neither does Zack," Aerith began. "You've known him longer than the both of us combined, is he really the kind of guy to lie just to sleep with someone?"

"Aerith…no, he isn't," the chocolate haired girl shook her head. "But I gave him the chance to be honest with me."

"So, shouldn't you give him the chance to explain?"

* * *

Today was the day he was finally able to go home. Being in the hospital had always made him restless as an eager Second Class Soldier, but this last stay had him a little despondent. Before he even had a chance to tell her the truth, Tifa found out on her own through her job at the very hospital designed for the military and their families. Since the whole reveal, he hadn't seen her in the three days he was held here.

Cloud remembered the shocked expression on her face moments before he passed out from his injuries, and the painful look in her eyes when he finally woke up.

Disappointment. Distrust. Dismay.

He never wanted her to look at him that way, but the damage was done. If only he could go back to that night and tell her the truth right when she asked. This was Tifa after all, but he just got too shaken with shame. But he lied to his childhood best friend instead, a woman he cared for deeply for years.

_Did he lose her before they truly began?_

Cloud asked a few of the nurses who tended to him about her, but they followed up that she was far too busy with other patients. Even though he had her number on his phone, he felt he had no right to call her. When she questioned him about Soldier, he choked up because he felt like a failure after his promise and honestly, his own self worth dwindled with the delay of achieving his goal.

_Why did he always screw it up?_

"Hey, cheer up. She can't be mad at you forever," Zack tried to comfort him after they got back to their apartment. It was nearing dinner time when he was finally discharged, with a week of semi-bed rest directed. "You got her number, don't you?"

"I'm not calling her," Cloud cut off. He didn't even want to talk about it right now.

"Girls like to be chased, and if you explain with an apology, she'll understand. You did plan to tell her the truth anyway," his friend tried to encourage while placing the first aid supplies on the kitchen island. The dressing on his wound had to be periodically changed to prevent infection.

"Too late now," he forlornly responded as he laid down on the black leather couch carefully, groaning from the injury that was still healing. He could walk around easy enough if he paced himself, but getting up and down was a pain, even with medication. He felt so worn out and was thankful his roommate brought him black sweatpants and a black tee shirt to wear home.

"It's never too late for someone you love," Zack corrected him while walking over with a bottle of water, and his bottle of medicine, placing both items on the clear coffee table.

Cloud just ignored him, but a blush tinted his cheeks at his comment about '_love_'. Leaning over, he grabbed the bottle and pills, taking his next dose for the pain.

"Listen, we don't have any food in the house since you've been in the hospital, so do you want pizza for dinner? Or anything else?"

The blond chuckled, knowing he was the only one in their residence that did the grocery shopping. "Pizza sounds fine."

"Text me if you need anything, I'll be back!" Zack waved off quickly, grabbing his wallet before he left the apartment.

Rolling onto his good side, Cloud settled into the couch to get some rest before dinner arrived. The peace and quiet of his apartment was too good to pass up, and he had to be up early this morning with the doctor checking him over repeatedly and last round of testing before his discharge could be approved. His eyes drifted closed when a small knock on the door, making him groan. Hoping they go away, he ignored it, but the knocking interrupted the quiet again.

_This better be important,_ Cloud huffed to himself as he got up. _If Zack forgot his keys..._

He managed to make it to the door, leaning against the frame for support as he opened the latch. Much to his surprise, it wasn't a raven-haired man with a box of pizza.

Standing there was the brunette whose beauty and bright smile he missed, that thought he was never going to see again. Showing up at his place, she was wearing a black tank top, ripped skinny jeans and black thong strappy sandals. The simpler look really reminded him of her in high school.

"Tifa?" he asked in disbelief. That smile she was giving him was warm and kind, just like always.

_Was this a dream? Is she really here?_

"May I come in?" she shyly countered back, her hands clasped in front of her.

"Uh, yeah," he stammered, opening the door more for her to enter.

Timidly, yet a surprisingly compassionate gaze towards him, she entered the apartment. A few steps in, Tifa turned towards him slowly, "is it okay if we sit down and talk?"

Nervously, he swallowed hard. "Sure."

"Still a man of few words?" the brunette giggled as she walked over to take a seat on the black leather couch.

Cloud followed suit, but sat down at the other end of the seat, facing her. It was great she was here, cheerful and genuine since their last encounter, but he wanted to give her space. "Sorry, I was beginning to think I'd never see you again."

Her eyes downcast, he could see her begin to twiddle her thumbs together in her lap, her knees close together. She shifted nervously under his concentrated gaze. "I'm sorry I walked out on you, and didn't come see you. I really did have higher priority patients, and I'm there to learn as an intern. But I probably should've made time for you."

He smiled nervously at her, meeting her with his soft cerulean eyes. "Well, that's good to hear."

"But I didn't want to see you," Tifa stated while shaking her head slowly. He could see the painful conflict in the depth of her cardinal eyes.

And he was the one that hurt her. Feeling his heart plummet, there wasn't much he could say, so he turned away from her. "Oh."

"Cloud, why didn't you tell me you were in Soldier when I asked? Were you...ashamed that you weren't in First yet?"

He nodded slowly, unable to face her. "Yeah...I thought I'd make it right in, but I didn't. Everything your father said—" Worthless and weak were the words that came to mind.

"I never cared about what dad ever said about you," she gently cut him off. "You were a cadet in the Shinra army for awhile and climbed the ranks there, and then made a direct transfer to Second Class when you officially joined Soldier. That's only been done once before, and by General Hewley himself. Cloud, you should be proud of yourself, not ashamed."

"I told everyone I was going to make it to the top fast, and I promised I'd come and see you when I finally did…but I couldn't keep my word due to my own failure..." Cloud trailed off before directly looking at her. "Wait, how do you know all that?"

"Just some things I heard about you from work," she simply offered, a hint of amusement in her voice before turning serious. "It's never mattered to me if you were in Soldier or not. Just who you are inside, Cloud."

"I never meant to hurt you. I was going to call first thing when I got back from the mission and tell the truth," he confided, but felt some relief from the amount of faith she had in him. His heart began to pound a little at the way she looked at him.

"At the hospital, I was thinking there were...other lies from that night...about your feelings...that maybe I was used," Tifa began to confess, her voice sounding shaky. She took a deep breath before speaking again. "I've been hurt that way before, so I ran off. But I know you're not that kind of person. I really meant what I said."

"About what?"

Smiling bashfully at him, her face colored a little while looking at her hands. "How I was in love with you back then."

He could feel his cheeks redden. "Y-you did?"

His high school dream girl giggled while turning up to him once more, her smile more radiant than ever. "Would you believe me if I told you that starry night at the well, I was hoping you'd kiss me?"

"Not back then...but I can now," Cloud chuckled nervously. "Zack said you always had a crush on me when I did talk about you, but I convinced myself it was just in my head."

"I did too," she sighed as a small simper appeared on her lips. "Rinoa and Yuffie always told me the same. That you were the one that got away."

"I...had no idea," he exhaled slowly. He never thought she had such strong feelings for him in such a way. Way back when, he was just content on being her friend.

Tifa scooted down to sit right next to him, placing her gentle hand over his to give it a squeeze. The blond swallowed nervously at her willing closeness, and noticed the top of her cheeks tinge pink. To him, her demureness always made her more desirable to him. "I'm here now though, Cloud, for you. It's actually one of the reasons I came to Midgar. I had a transfer choice between here and Esthar. I picked this program...hoping to see you."

_She came here...for me? _He was simply amazed at the turn of events. He joined Soldier to impress her, and she ended up following him to the big city anyway, without even knowing where he was.

"Tifa…"

"I don't want you to be the one that got away," she firmly admitted to him while looking at him with those open and loving ruby eyes. "Do you…feel the same about me?"

"_**Surprised? I was kind of in love with you back then." **_

"_**Same here." **_

"I always have, Tifa," he inched his face closer to her, tucking the strands of her luscious chocolate hair behind her ear, cradling her cheek in his hand. His mouth hovered over hers, and he could feel the nervous pants escaping her mouth, her breath tickling his skin. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she was waiting for him with parted lips while still holding his other hand. Like the disciplined soldier he was, he captured her mouth in a tender kiss, brushing his tongue over her bottom lip in a sweet caress. He didn't think this moment was going to be possible again: kissing the girl from next door, and her returning the same affection.

The very same girl he left town to solely impress. And it turned out she always wanted him, even without the glory. Pulling her closer, he could feel her shiver with excitement, her soft lips never breaking from his.

* * *

It had been a week since they made up. When Aerith approached her in the cafeteria, she had no idea what to make of it, but as she talked to her new friend, she realized she misjudged Cloud too quickly from her past pain. When Yuffie first heard about the lie, she couldn't believe it herself that he was 'that kind of guy' either. Only the new girl made her realize her mistake. He had accomplished a lot in his military career, but to him, based on his promises and goals, he felt like he wasn't enough...for her.

Tifa still didn't appreciate that he lied to her, but she needed to give him the chance to make it right. And the emerald eyed girl promised if she did talk to Cloud that evening, she'd distract her boyfriend to give them privacy.

"_**I just met you, but please keep it a secret about my relationship with Zack. I know I approached you about yours, but I have reasons I don't want my personal life at work," Aerith whispered as they finished up lunch. "If word got out…," her eyes flickered in distress. **_

"_**I won't tell anyone," Tifa softly reassured her, not prying into the why factor of her request. She'd only just met her, but if she had reasons behind the secrecy, she'd respect it. **_

"_**I'm trusting you, Tifa. And I think we will be great friends." **_

"_**And as a friend, if I talk to Cloud today, you'll make sure we're not interrupted?" **_

"_**Of course!" the chestnut haired girl smiled back. **_

Tifa still didn't understand the reason behind the request, as Aerith never brought it up again. Sometimes the biochemist met her for lunch, sometimes she went off site to see Zack for a date. But whenever she did see the cheerful girl, she'd ask for a few details on her own relationship.

No dates yet, as he was still recovering from his injuries. But she would stop by almost every evening after work to spend time with him. Take out dinner in hand, she'd knock on his door with a smile for a planned evening in together. Sharing space on the couch, they'd cuddle and watch movies, both new and old time favorites from their school days.

And she didn't mind the low key dates, either. It made her happy, as just being near him would light her up inside, her chest swelling with warmth as he put his arm around her, and her breath taken away when he did decide to kiss her. Each time they started kissing, they'd always come to themselves gradually, breathless with flushed cheeks and hearts pounding. She felt like a teenager in love, and couldn't help but think this may have been what it would be like if they both had the courage to confess way back when.

Making out on the couch with Cloud was becoming her favorite past time with him. But it never went further than that. This was still new, exploring each other's long lost feelings in simple bliss.

"I should probably head back before it gets too late," Tifa hummed in between kisses, laying side by side on the narrow couch. She had pulled a double shift again this week, and her exhaustion was catching up to her. But she didn't want to leave Cloud...as she did almost every evening this past week. His broad hands scanned her back as he trailed his lips along her neck. "I'll end up falling asleep here if we don't stop."

"Would that be such a bad idea?" he whispered against her ear, his breath tickling her sensitive skin.

She stiffened at his bold question, opening her eyes to pull back and look at the blond. Her hands were still flat against his chest, biting her bottom lip anxiously. "Cloud…"

Seeing her flushed cheeks, he quickly corrected himself with a shake of his head. "No—wait...I didn't mean _for that_."

"Oh, okay," she sighed in relief. They may have been together before, but she wanted to take their new relationship slow after what happened. Not that she didn't want to. She gazed into the depths of his ultramarine eyes before speaking again. "Umm...Cloud—"

"Tifa," gently, he cut her off, threading his fingers through her loose silky hair. "You can stay here just to get some sleep without expectations from me. You are _my_ girlfriend."

"I am?" she couldn't help but smile.

"Well, I'd like you to be," he kissed her lips.

"I'd like that too," the brunette blushed. "And I'll stay tonight."

He didn't need help off the couch, as most of his strength was back. Next week he'd be returning to work, along with herself. Holding her hand, he led her into the bedroom slowly. The moon was the only source of light, illuminating the space of their first passionate night together.

She turned away, her cheeks heating up from the fiery memory.

"Here," he handed her a shirt to change into for the night. "And I'll turn around."

"Oh, thank you," Tifa grabbed the navy cotton shirt shyly from his grasp. She didn't know why she was blushing so much, or why her heart was about to leap out of her chest. It's not like they haven't seen each other naked before. But he was being patient with her, and kind, just like the boy she fell for back in Nibelheim.

When she turned back around, she found him lying in bed, his head propped up on his fist, waiting for her. Tifa was only dressed in a shirt that mostly covered her thighs, and she still felt too exposed to him. Briefly, she hesitated, but the need to have his warm arms around her again was the ultimate deciding factor. Cloud wasn't expecting anything from her tonight, and she was sure this would be one night of many she'd begin to spend with her boyfriend.

_Her boyfriend…_

Getting under the covers, she sighed as his arm circled around her, snuggling into his side as her hand rested on his bare chest. Quietly, they laid there together, his hand making circles on her upper arm while she felt his beating heart under her palm.

"When I get better, I want to take you out on a real date," Cloud softly said after kissing the top of her head.

"I'd like that," Tifa replied while looking up at him, giving him a brief kiss goodnight before turning back into the heat of his skin. She could get used to sleeping with him every night.

* * *

**Author's Note Continued:** Yay! They are together now! See? Tifa wasn't going to be mad at him for too long, as she understands Cloud the most.

I've been busy with other stories, as well as working on a more in-depth plot for this piece. I have figured out an ending, but I needed to get there! I appreciate the patience and overwhelming love for this story, as I never anticipated how popular this would be. More time is needed on _Final Distance_, but I hope everyone enjoys this update in the meantime.

Happy _ClotiWeek_!


	6. Nothing's Gonna Stop Us

**Disclaimer: **_Final Fantasy VII_ with the characters, items, places, etc. are the property of _Square Enix, Inc_. No infringement is intended.

**Author's Note:** Prompt for **_Endless Summer 2020_** for the _CloTi-Zerith Week _on _Tumblr/Twitter._ This year is an 80's theme! I picked the song **_Nothing's Gonna Stop Us (1987)_** by Starship for the July 15th prompt. I hope you can spot the other lyrics from the song in this chapter!

This story is back! This arc will feature more of Zack and Aerith's relationship, since I gave hints to it in the last chapter. Cloud and Tifa are a part of this, but I wanted to focus my attention on the sweet Zerith this time, a complicated relationship in this story. Everything is always so complicated in this piece, right?

Huge shout out to **_DrWaffle _**and**_ mayelisa (AO3)_**, my two beta readers for reviewing this chapter. **_Denebola Leo _**was wonderful to beta some scenes and be a sounding board for this arc. I'd also like to welcome back **_Valentine'sNinja_** back to the writing fandom, a good friend that got me into writing way back when. She is making a comeback too, so keep an eye out for her profile! I felt so blessed when she started to read this story, since one of hers helped me with inspiration for it!

The title of the story was inspired by Utada Hikaru's song "Final Distance". Thanks to everyone's patience for this story being updated. Now, let's get to some wholesome Zerith and drama.

**-. Final Distance .-**

**Chapter VI: Nothing's Gonna Stop Us**

It was a perfect evening for them once again. Zack had indulged in her request for a silly romantic comedy at the movie theatre, after a lavish dinner at an upscale restaurant. They didn't go there often, only special occasions, and he wanted to take her out properly once more before she went away on her trip up to the cold north to visit family.

During the ascent back in the elevator of her apartment building, he pressed her up against the wall to feel her up through her dress, spreading hot kisses across her lips and exposed skin. She knew her low cut hot pink dress that draped across her chest would get his attention this way. But, maybe it worked a little _too_ well tonight.

Her knees grew weak as his tongue caressed her mouth, her ache increasing when she felt his fingers graze her inner thigh. She smiled into his kiss, but needed to remind him of their whereabouts. "Remember Zack, there are cameras."

"You know I never cared about that," he chuckled, his two fingers pushing past her silk panties, going knuckle deep inside her warmth.

_That's right. He never cared_, she chided herself, breathing deeply as he pressed his thumb against her clit. They were all over each other on the cab ride back, so she shouldn't have been surprised that he was ready to pound her inside the elevator. But he never did when he got too frisky like this on the way to her apartment, something he made a point to do before she left on her family trips. Zack simply wanted her to remember him when she went to Icicle Inn Village, but she could never forget him.

Aerith panted in between kisses, feeling the increased pressure of his digits assaulting her core. She started to unbutton his white cotton shirt, halfway down his chest when her boyfriend picked up her smooth thigh to wrap her leg around him. Having more access, he stuck a third finger inside, swirling around as his thumb flicked her nub.

"Ahh, Zack!" her throaty moan echoed inside the chamber of the elevator, her fingers gripping his open shirt. He'd never gotten this enthusiastic in the elevator before, but it could always be that she teased him when he was so close to making her come before reaching her floor. Something she knew he held back from, to just tease her with himself. It was a silly little game they had about the elevator, but as he was driving her so close to ecstasy, closer than he ever had before in their playtime, a thought struck her.

Kissing him deeply to distract him, she moved one hand over to the panel. Cracking an eye open, she found the emergency stop button. Pushing it, she broke the kiss, scraping her teeth across her plump lips. "Finish me."

Zack smiled down at her, then gave her a gentle kiss. His tone was cocky and needy. "I was hoping you'd say that."

"I'm glad," she teased him back. Her arms twined around his neck, bringing the warmth of his body closer to hers. Kissing him, she coaxed him to continue, despite the semi-public space they were in.

He thrust in more, curling his fingers, and she lets out a whimper. His lips travel along her jawline before bringing kisses to the back of her ear. His tiny pecks always drove her nuts. He chuckled when she began to push her hips against his hand. The friction they create is spellbinding, her moans echoing louder and louder as he draws her closer to the edge. Aerith clamps down her inner muscles around him, her head lolling against the wall, feeling the white rush succumb over her.

"Well, that was much faster than I anticipated," he playfully remarked, putting a hand up next to her head to leverage himself. He released his fingers from between her legs, bringing them to his lips to suck off her essence. "You always taste so fucking sweet."

The emerald-eyed girl unhooked her leg from his waist, the hem of her rose-colored dress falling down with it. Her hands traveled down his chest, untucking his blanched shirt from his dark slacks before unzipping his pants. "It's your turn," she smiled at him, taking hold of him.

"_Aerith_...hold on," he hissed as she stroked him. They never have gone this far before. "The cameras…"

"They can't see what we're doing from this angle. Besides, I thought you didn't care?"

He snatched her hand to slow down her ministrations to his cock, using the other to push the elevator out of emergency mode. "Touching is fine, but fucking you right here in the elevator is another." Placing his hands on her hips, he nuzzled her neck, enjoying that she continued to smooth her hand over his glands. He let out a shuddering moan near her ear, tickling her sensitive skin. "Gotta have a little self-control till we get to your place."

Cupping his cheek, she brought his mouth to hers, sucking hard on his tongue while increasing the pace of her strokes. Pre-cum began to leak from the head of his shaft, and she smeared the moisture around his whole length. He was close, but she was just going to bring him _close_, nothing more. He hardened his grip on her hips, their mutual moans muffled by the hot exchange. Completely lost in their bliss, he began to pull her dress back up but the ding of the elevator door opening gave him a reality check. Zack smoothes his hands up her curves instead, kissing her once more before pulling himself away.

Reluctantly, she let him go. "We're here."

"It's a good thing too, since I would've gotten you evicted," he hid his erection in his pants, his shirt fully untucked to hide his bulge.

Aerith pushed herself off the wall, and exited the elevator with flushed cheeks. Her place was the corner apartment, just to the left of the stop. A chance encounter with a neighbor was very slim, but she always got bashful when they had to make the short distance after foreplay in the elevator each time. She pulled out her keys, placed it into the lock when she felt lips caress the back of her neck, his hands massage her abdomen as she opened her door.

Zack spun her around, captured her mouth in a passionate kiss, and led them into her apartment foyer. She kicked off her heels, and he unbuttoned his shirt. He pressed her up against the wall, and she fully unfastened his pants to push down his boxers. If they couldn't fuck in the elevator, they could just pretend they were right here.

He slipped an arm around her waist before he lifted her up, and used his free hand to encircle her legs around his sleek body. The magenta fabric of her dress was scrunched up high, giving access to push the fabric of panties to the side so he can ease himself inside her. Aerith let out a relieved gasp when he pushed himself in, rested her palms against his tight undershirt that showed off the form of his muscles. His arm still under her for support, his strokes were sharp and precise as he took her, his face buried in the column of her neck.

"Ohh, Zack," she moaned into his ear. Aerith bit the lobe when she rolled her hips against him.

"You're so wet again," he hisses back, groaned when her hips push into him in a delightful pattern. He clutched her lower back as he rolled his head back, his perfect amethyst eyes half-lidded. "Ahh, fuck. You're driving me crazy doing that, with how warm you feel inside."

She smiled through her pants and loved to hear how she felt. Swiveling her hips around his length, she began a new course of friction, driving them both to delirium. Aerith cried out louder than she expected herself to, while her raven-haired lover emitted heavy groans from his throat at this new sensation. Each turn of her hips against him was so vehement, so absolute as she clenched down her muscles at each pass. His thrusts grew more vigorous, it was simply maddening.

"Yes, _yes_, yes!" she mewled, gripping his shoulders tighter, tightening her inner muscles around his length tighter and tighter.

"Fuck, Aerith...fuck!" Zack rasped out, bringing his hand down to where they were joined together. His thumb pushes down onto her clit, circling the pad to increase the gratification.

"Ah, ahh, ahhhh!" Her face scrunches up from the increased pressure swelling between her legs, the pitch in her strong cries becoming more frantic.

"Come for me," he commanded, keeping his thrusts deep and even with hers.

Aerith sways her hips harder, his thumb flicking her nub over and over. The white rush had her shivering before him, closing her eyes at the tension. She half screamed as she rode out her orgasm, hearing the strangled cry of his own joining with her. Their rapturous moans carried one another through the euphoria, his strokes steadily getting slower.

"Wow," she whispered, feeling fully sated from her release.

"Wow, indeed," Zack scooped his arms around her slim body, feeling her legs grow weak around his waist. He kissed the sweaty skin of her cheek. "I love it when I get you past the point of no return." He slipped himself out of her, then tightened his embrace around her. "Want me to carry you?"

She nodded into the crook of his neck. "Please."

Cradling her into his arms, he stepped over the remnants of his partly discarded wardrobe, placing her at the foot of her bed when they reached her room. His feather-light touch reached her mid-back, and she shuddered when his fingers tugged the zipper of her dress, pulling it down til her dress fell off, pooling at her feet. The cool air hit her breasts, seeing his eyes grow enamored as he massaged them. Once, twice, three times before he stopped, traveling his fingers to the hem of her underwear, slipping off the lacey article.

She shuddered again. "Zack…"

"I only just took off your clothes, Aerith," he chuckled, taking off his undershirt, exposing fine abs and pert muscles.

"I'm going to miss you…when I go up north," she cupped his cheeks, feeling the heat of his body radiate from their close proximity. She definitely wants more of him tonight, _all night,_ in fact, feeling her core dampen.

"You could take me with you," his palms cover her hands, smoothing down her arms before embracing her. His mouth slants over hers, preventing her objection, teasing her lips with a tender kiss.

She entertains him back with a kiss, all the while wondering why he is suddenly so keen on meeting her parents. It's been declared from the start it can't happen, and he was fine with that when they began dating. Hesitantly, she breaks the kiss to remind him. "You know I can't do that."

"Aren't you tired of sneaking around Midgar, so your dad's goons at Shinra don't see us?"

"What's with you all of sudden?" her viridian eyes narrowed a little at him with her question. "You know why we can't let him find out about us."

"I do know, but we've built this thing between us for a long time. I say we give it a chance to come forward, come clean, and stop hiding from half the world," he said seriously.

"You've been thinking about this for a while," Aerith observed.

"I have, but that's because I love you. I wanted to have a heart to heart about it because I know we can make it through anything. Nothing's gonna stop us, not even your dad," he related to her, holding her gaze. "Now put your arms around me. I need to get you into this bed."

She did as she was told, thinking about his words when he gently put her under him on top of the plush comforter. Her heart fluttered with his delicate kisses on her neck, amplified by the anxiety of the situation he presented to her: Zack meeting her dad, face to face. The last relationship she was in that was uncovered by her father almost had her ex's career destroyed at Shinra Incorporated. After the big blowup, there was a big break to her heart when her ex walked away. She avoided dating men from her work after that, but Zack was too charming to ignore, and she found herself falling for him fast.

"Nothing's gonna stop us now, you say?" she asked carefully. "Not even your standing in Soldier possibly falling? Dad is really powerful at Shinra..."

He smiled down at her. "We'll still have each other."

"Zack…"

"Aerith, whatever it takes, I'll stay with you. I just wanna give you more, but I can't without your parents knowing about us."

"Ohh?" she found her heart beating a little faster, even if she felt it was too soon for that step in their relationship.

"Hold on, I know that look," Zack chuckled. "I do wanna marry you someday, but I was hoping we could get our own place first. That's what I meant by giving you more."

"I'd like that," she leaned up, giving him a kiss with a sigh. "We're really doing this. Telling Dad the truth..."

"It won't be bad, I promise. He'll end up loving me and demand I marry you immediately."

"If you say so," Aerith laughed. "But when we are up there, we'll have to more than likely stay in separate rooms. Which means, _no sex_. Still interested in going?"

"Yeah, we'll just have to have sex all night to make up for that lost time now, won't we?" he teased her with his sparkling violet eyes.

"Then let's get to it!" she gave him a playful smirk.

* * *

_Being a lab technician for Faremis Labs involved hard work, including fetching coffee for her boss or transferring potions to the Soldier training facility. But she always did her work with a smile, no matter what it involved. It was pleasant to be able to work from the bottom up to prove her worth here, given her hidden ties to the company. Dating anyone from work was never meant to be. _

_It's not a situation she dwells on anymore, moving on from her ex long ago. She just stuck to work, her friends, truly focusing on herself to be happy. The lab brought her joy, even though they directed her to push a cart full of compact potions around Shinra HQ a few times a week. _

_"Aerith?" a charming voice called her name, sounding surprised to see her. Yet it was never a surprise, these encounters were far too common to be one. She comes down to the training facility, and the handsome Soldier always appears at the same moment she is about to unload the latest delivery. _

_Nevertheless, she enjoyed these encounters. She halted the cart in front of the storage room to playfully chide him. "Zack, we need to stop meeting like this."_

_"You don't wanna see my pretty face anymore?" he teased, pulling out his keycard to unlock the door. Grabbing the handles on the other side of the cart, he pulled the cart of various potions inside. She fought with him the first time, but she lets him play to be the perfect gentleman. Her friendly friend was always too sweet to her. Aerith enjoyed their short banter each time before she had to go scurry on back to the lab. _

_"It's the tiny cuts and bruises on your pretty face I don't like seeing," she giggled a bit at his teasing, before turning to pull off a secured crate from the cart. "You Soldier boys always gotta be so rough in training, it's making me come down here three times a week to restock." _

_"But I'm always here to help, and I buy you a soda at the vending machine for all the trouble you go through for us," he pointed out, pulling off another load to put on the highest shelf of the cooling unit. He turned back around, flashing her a big smile as he put his hands on another box. "I gotta break in the new recruits." _

_She always loved his bright smiles towards her, the cheerful ones that showed off his dimples. But she didn't want him to ever know that was one of the many things she doted upon about him to herself. "Well, today I hope you brought your wallet, as I spotted a new snack you can get me too for this trouble." _

_"Or I could do you one better. How about one date?" he held up a finger, winking at her._

_"What? Don't be silly." Even though a blush bloomed on her cheeks, she kept her vivacious eyes on his piercing blue-violet gaze, seeing the hint of mako in them. She had her arms full of bottled elixirs, almost letting one slip out of her hand in surprise. _

_"I'm not silly, I'm serious," and he was, taking a step towards her to close the distance, grabbing the elixir she almost dropped. His light touch against her hand tingled her skin, just like always in their playfulness with one another. "We've been flirting for weeks, Aerith. One date, just to see what happens."_

_She moistened her lips in hesitation. They always flirted with each other, but she thought it was all in good fun. Her heart may skip a little in beat when she was in his presence, but she could never let it be. _

_"I...I can't date anyone I work with," she let him down gently. "It's a rule I have." _

_"Oh, I see," Zack replied, sounding genuinely surprised this time. "Here, let me get these." _

_She let him retrieve more of the bottles from her arms to lighten the load, then put the remaining few away inside the refrigerated chamber. She felt awkward that he was still so nice after rejecting his date. "Zack, I still like your company...if you'll still have me, that is. It'll be my treat today since I turned you down."_

_"A soda for a wounded heart?" he teased while placing his hands over his chest, giving her one of his best smiles. _

_She couldn't help but giggle again. "It's complicated, but it's all I can do. I hope you understand, and that we can still be friends."_

_"You bet."_

* * *

She was really surprised by Cloud's choice for their first date this evening, growing excited that he wanted to take her to a summer seaside festival in Edge. They met up outside the entrance and had a wonderful time playing carnival games, enjoying the small amusement rides and tasty food stands throughout the festival. It was such a beautiful summer evening, the sky darkening as time passed, but the fun at the festival never stopped. Her boyfriend won a game of knocking over the milk bottles and let her pick out the prize of a stuffed Chocobo plush. Lacing her fingers with his, he pulled her to the direction to retrieve some frozen treats before the annual fireworks display began.

The date was so simple, yet exhilarating. Her heart raced faster whenever he gave her sweet glances with blue eyes, or he flashed her a charming smile as they held hands. Her chest swelled with warmth, as she was finally on a date with Cloud. A proper one, at least. The dances during their school days weren't anything official.

Tifa looked up at the velvet night sky, glittered with stars as they waited patiently for the light show to begin above the ocean. They were closer to the beach this time in Edge, sitting on a grassy hill just before the sand, and just like the night he first kissed her in the seaside city, the breezes that swept by were chilly.

"You cold?" Cloud asked when he saw her shiver next to him, promptly taking off his plaid overshirt. "Here, just roll down the sleeves."

"Thanks, I forgot how cool it gets by the beach at night," she accepted his offer of his long sleeve shirt. The fabric was thin, but it offered her an extra barrier against the gentle winds. She should've come more prepared if she was gonna wear white denim shorts and a pale pink smocked waist top for a summer night date. She snuggled closer to him when he put his arm around her.

"Maybe I should've made this an indoor date," he commented, rubbing her arm gently to warm her up. "We can go if it's too cold."

"No, no," she shook her head gently. "Under the stars is a perfect first date for us. It reminds me of the night at the water tower and our first kiss...," she looked into his deep shimmering eyes. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Brushing her luscious hair out of her eyes and tucking loose strands behind her ear, he leaned forward to place a kiss to her lips. A passion ignited between them as she returned the fervor, reaching out to cup his cheek. The fiery sparks started to whip up into the sky above them, hearing cheers from the crowd around them that the show had started. They were here to see a fireworks show, but took to each other's company instead to share kisses.

"We're gonna miss the show," Cloud said just before pecking her on the lips again.

Tifa giggled against his lips. "You're the one who kissed me first. Don't blame me."

"Hey, it always takes two," he teased her back before looking up at the fireworks. "Here, come a little closer in my lap." He adjusted his legs to open a space for her. "I'll keep you warmer this way instead."

Her cheeks flushed darker at this comment, but she willingly obliged for a closer cuddle. Sitting in between his legs, she leaned back against his chest as he brought his arms around her. "This is nice."

"It sure is," Cloud said, kissing her cheek once more. "I'd like to take you out again. Tomorrow night sounds good?"

"Sounds perfect," Tifa smiled at the news of a second date. They were a couple now, but going out on another date so soon felt as if they were making up for lost time. It made her feel elated they were doing so, even if it was at a slower pace this time from how they reunited their first evening together. Twining her fingers around his, she looked up at the fireworks cut through the night sky.

Cloud was always going to be her love, and she was always going to be his. They just felt so right together.

* * *

_Zack leaned back in his seat on the bus ride home, looking out the window at the passing skyscrapers in the bustling city of Midgar. Usually, he had a book to read, or a podcast, but was caught up in thinking about the events that passed today back at Shinra HQ. He couldn't understand what the hell was going on with the girl at work that captured his eye. The ebony-haired man was serious when he asked her out a month ago, and even though she turned him down, she was still flirting with him, even initiating it herself, despite her own dating rule._

_His feelings only grew stronger with their short interactions, and he wanted to get to know her better. Hoping that a dozen roses to her office would show his intentions with her were serious, he was kinda shocked the expensive gesture backfired. Kunsel even heard her rejection in the hallway, and that she doesn't want things to change between them. Zack was officially friend-zoned, by a girl he had been crazy about for over two months...and he's never been turned down by a girl twice. He only pursued the special ones, and Aerith was pretty special to him. But he wasn't so special to her in return. _

_When the bus halted at his stop, he promptly got up to exit the vehicle. Tonight he had the place to himself as Cloud was still out on recon, and he was somewhat thankful his roommate wasn't around to witness his humiliation. Sooner or later, the man would hear about it to poke fun at him about. Hands in his denim pockets, Zack stepped off the bus to cross the courtyard to his place. _

_"Wait!"_

_He was surprised to hear a familiar sweet voice behind him. Turning around, he found the girl with the light brown plait and flushed cheeks as she ran up to him. "Aerith?"  
_

_"I'd thought I would never get through the doors on time!" she bent over, hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. _

_Despite her current state, he couldn't help but notice how cute she looked in her white cami dress covered in bright florals. He had never seen her dressed in anything else besides her lab coat before. Still, her presence outside of his apartment had him genuinely intrigued. "What are you doing here?"_

_Aerith, without answering at first, looked around the empty courtyard as if she was looking for someone else. Sighing in relief, she gave a sweet simper, placing her hands behind her back. "No one has ever given me flowers before." _

_"Well, it's what guys do when they're serious about a girl they really, really like," he let out a chuckle, remembering the events from earlier today. _

_"I know," she swayed her shoulders playfully. "And it makes me really, really happy that you did that today. That you really, really like me."_

_"Happy enough for you to reject me twice?" He placed his hands on his hips, amused and perplexed by her statement. This girl has always captivated him with her charm, but his curiosity peaked; she seemed overjoyed that he liked her. He had to know why. _

_"Like I said, it's complicated. I can't date men that I work with, even if I really, really like them too," she said with a wink. _

_Zack could feel the smug on his face form at this new information. She seemed to be denying herself from what she wanted, which was him. "Can't, or won't?"_

_"Can't. But I can go hang out with a friend I really, really like, in a setting with low lighting. And not where many people from work can see us together. Like a movie." _

_"Okay," Zack rubbed his chin. "Doesn't sound that complicated, so I think I can manage."_

_"But this is where it could get complicated," Aerith leaned towards him and held up her index finger. "I would like this friend to hold my hand and put his arm around me if he wanted to, when no one could really see us. And tell no one at work about our friends' only date, since I can't date men from work. Ever, if we were to hang out a lot like this."_

_"I see," he replied, crossing his arms. "That is complicated."_

_Nodding with a small hum to her lips, she clasped her hands together before stepping closer to him. Her virescent eyes softly pleaded with him. "I have reasons I don't want my personal life at work. It's better for both of us, so nothing bad happens. I wasn't sure if I could ask this of you, if you'd be willing. But I really like you_—_"_

_He gently placed two fingers against her soft lips to hush her. If this was the matter of the case, he would gladly take this chance to be with her. Honestly, he was just thrilled by it. "Then let's go on our date, and if I kiss you at the end of the night, you'll have my answer if I want to be complicated with you." _

_"Alright." Seeing he was going to amuse her in this, she couldn't help but show a smile back as she relaxed herself a bit. _

_Tonight was gonna be a fun night of him committing himself to making this work._

* * *

"Are you sure you want to cancel your request time off?" Angeal pressed him again outside the training simulation arena. The general was surprised, yet somewhat relieved to see him show up today. He squinted back at the man to make sure he was serious with this decision.

"Positive," Zack replied to him. He wasn't going to waste his vacation days sitting at home waiting for Aerith to come back from her trip. Or even go into it with his superior on a personal matter. They were supposed to leave on their flight together earlier that morning, but his girlfriend pulled back on the decision for him to meet her parents.

A huge blowup fight occurred between them at her apartment. It truly agitated him that he was the only one taking their relationship seriously while Aerith just wanted it to be kept in the shadows. Her fear was always going to hold them back, a fact that made him unsettled about them, resulting in fiery tempers flying. Zack was paying for the mistake of her ex and her father's overprotectiveness. Words flew from each other's mouths that were never that loud before, and they hurt. The pain that was apparent in her jade-colored eyes from telling her he wasn't going to move in together, he hated it...but he also hated her mistrust in him.

"I was going to recommend a different First Class on this mission, but I trust you more with how delicate the situation is. Report to Lazard, and he'll brief you in on the details," his superior informed him, giving him a salute. Zack followed suit, then quickly made his way to the director's office. Using his keycard, the secured doors opened for him to enter.

"Zack, good to see you. I just got notified of your addition," Lazard welcomed him, waving his hand over to the front of his desk. "Please, so we may begin."

Besides a shocked looking Cloud who kept his silence, the only other man in the lineup for the mission was a man with long, slicked-back melanic hair in a crisp suit. He had worked with Tseng before, the top member of the Turks. This mission had to be very dangerous if he was here.

"A Shinra resistance group has become increasingly violent the last few weeks, known as Avalanche," the blond director stated from his chair. "A bomb was uncovered in Kalm near a Soldier Recruiting office yesterday, but was never activated. Otherwise, they've targeted personnel at the Shinra Energy plant located near Fort Condor, despite the company changes to greener methods. We have pinpointed one of their small hideouts in the Mythril Mines after capturing a member. We need more information on this terrorist group, and that's where you come in. Collect it quietly, leave quietly. Use force if necessary."

"Considering how zealous they are, I would like to do things on the quiet side as I collect intel," Tseng added to the briefing. "We're a small unit."

"Understood," Cloud nodded to the Turk. "How long is this mission?"

"You'll be stationed up to ten days, but if anything alarming occurs, or information is uncovered, come back immediately. We only have you two from Soldier out there in order to not draw attention. You leave in one hour, so go get prepared."

Being officially dismissed, Tseng left the office first to put things in order before they left for their mission. Taking his exit, Zack walked down the crowded hallway with Cloud in tow, making his way towards the barracks to collect the necessary supplies.

"Zack…?" his friend grabbed his arm to pull him off to the side near the vending machines. There weren't many people in the hallway, so he wasn't surprised by his comrade's concern. "Aren't you supposed to be with Aerith right now?"

"She changed her mind about us," his violet eyes darkened on the topic. Plans to move forward won't be able to happen with this continued secrecy she was forcing upon him. "I don't even get a say in all this, without her giving me a chance. I wouldn't walk away from her just because of her dad, but she's not trusting me enough…"

"Aerith probably needs more time to adjust to this new idea."

Zack turned his head away with a defeated sigh, his fingers going through his wild hair. "I don't know, she still wants to get a place with me, but I told her I wasn't gonna move in with her if her parents didn't know about us. I'd still have to have an address with you on file to cover up living with her, or so she suggested. It doesn't sit well with me."

"That's tough," Cloud commented, crossing his arms. "You'll be okay on the mission with this going on?"

"Yeah, I'll keep my head in the game. Just needed to get it off my chest, that's all," he reassured his friend. "I'll take care of the supplies if you wanna run to your girl for a quick goodbye."

"That was the plan, I just hope Tifa takes the news well since I have to cancel our date," the blond said before walking away. "I'll stop by the barracks to help you finish up."

* * *

Tifa was on a smoother shift at the hospital that day, working in the recovery unit for both commoners and soldiers instead of the emergency ward just as she has done the past two weeks. She was about to start her afternoon rounds of patient care when a simple "hey" from behind her interrupted her task. Placing the medical clipboard on the high countertop, she smiled when he casually leaned against the nurse's workstation.

She hasn't seen Cloud in this part of the building since the day she treated him, nor has he ever stopped by to distract her. They had only escorted each other to and from work the past few days, grabbing a fresh brew at the coffee cart outside Shinra HQ. They hadn't really talked about meetups during work, and although she'd love to take a break right now, she can't.

The brunette greeted him with a quick peck on the lips, her palm flat against his chest. "Hey, I'm kinda busy right now, but we can catch up for our date tonight after work, okay?"

"I'm being deployed," her boyfriend's words struck her heart.

"Oh...I see," she finally said. She was not expecting this at all, his reasoning to see her during her work shift more obvious. There would be no second date tonight...

"Tifa, I'll cover your rounds if you need to go," a blonde nurse named Luna offered from behind the desk as she finished typing up at the computer.

Nodding, she handed over her patient charts without a word, glad for the understanding from her teammate as she knew the woman also dated a Soldier herself. Leading Cloud over to an on-call room for some privacy, she closed the door behind her.

They hadn't yet faced this before in their relationship, him being sent out on a mission, nor did they talk about it. She stood there in the dimly lit room that had two bunk beds and a nightstand in between, a couch in the far corner. The brooding blond cemented himself in the middle of the room, his serious cyan gaze staring back at her. She wasn't far from him, and could tell the situation they were in had him tense with how taut his mouth was.

"Cloud..." she stepped closer to him, coaxing his bicep with her fingers to soothe him. She didn't know what to say now. Lately, they were caught up in their own mutual bliss over the past week from his recovery time and first official date. He had only returned to active duty a few days before this. This predicament was too soon for them.

His cool eyes meet hers, flickering with distress. It didn't stop him from grabbing hold of her hips, her hands naturally going to his chest for their close embrace. He leaned his forehead against hers, sighing. "I was hoping we'd get more time."

"How long will you be gone?"

He lets out another breath of sharp air. "Probably ten days."

_Ten days_… she thought to herself. "That isn't so bad now, is it?"

"No, but it could get longer. Or I'd come back sooner, be here for one or two days, and then be deployed again on another mission for three weeks."

"Then we'll have to make the most of it each time you return, won't we?" she countered to try and alleviate his anxiety. Her hands curled up behind his neck and she used her fingers to play with his blond locks.

His chagrined eyes intensely looked into hers when he cupped her face. "Tifa, this job destroyed my last relationship. It was hard on my ex-girlfriend with how often I would get called away at times, and we barely got our own beginning with how these missions are gonna start piling up…"

"...it won't end the same way, I promise," Tifa reassured him when she realized how much and why this troubled him so. She wasn't sure what happened with his ex, and she only briefly touched the surface of what happened with hers. They waited years for this, so there were people with a past pain in between. "I picked Midgar to just try and be with you, remember? Nothing's gonna stop us, not even an eco-terrorist group."

"You heard about them?" he smiled at her choice of teasing.

"Briefly, just put two and two together after hearing them on the news this morning," she acknowledged him. She was glad to see a smile on his face, he knew that she would always be here to wait for him. Tifa just dreaded the danger he had to face now.

His fingers weaved through her hair when the worry appeared on her face now. "Tifa?"

"Just...be careful, okay?" she asked, burying her face in the crook of his neck when she hugged him closer. She could feel his arms trail up her back to comfort her.

"I promise," he whispered. One hand flat on her lower back, he tilted her head back to plant a kiss against her lips. His thumb caresses her cheek as their breaths mingle together, a wave of warmth fills her up in the fervency from him. Eyes closed, she just focuses on this moment, and she knew this deep kiss was meant to be a goodbye.

A goodbye for now...one of many to come.

* * *

**Author's Note Continued: **Wholesome Zerith with the _drama_! This was my first Zack and Aerith smut, and I had such fun writing all the fluffy flashbacks between them. It's really refreshing, but yes, I put them into a fight. You'll find out more about that for the July 16th prompt. I'm planning on three total updates for this story arc during **_Endless Summer 2020_**!

Happy _Cloti/Zerith Week_!


	7. The Price of Freedom

**Disclaimer: **_Final Fantasy VII_ with the characters, items, places, etc. are the property of _Square Enix, Inc_. No infringement is intended.

**Author's Note:** Prompt for _**Endless Summer 2020**_ for the _CloTi-Zerith Week_ on _Tumblr/Twitter_. This year is an 80's theme! I picked the movie quote from _**When Harry Met Sally (1989)**_: "I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible," for the July 16th prompt.

Another chapter so soon! Huge thanks to _**Denebola Leo**_ for being a sounding board for the plot points, and _**DrWaffle **_and _**mayelisa (AO3) **_being my beta readers to review for this Zerith arc. This is still a romantic drama story, but I'm going to add some action/adventure elements for missions in order to get Cloud to First Class. I'd also like to give gratitude to _**SKEvans**_ and _**Karmi**_ for helping me with a few scenes for this chapter as well.

Please check out the story _Cruel Summer_ by _**mayelisa**_ on _**AO3**_, an AU of Cloud and Tifa with a slow burn romance between the two. It's her first Cloti/Zerith story and I'm so in love with it! The pining and flirting between Cloti is wonderful. She's a new author to the fandom you don't wanna miss out on!

The title of the story was inspired by Utada Hikaru's song "Final Distance".

**-. Final Distance .-**

**Chapter VII: The Price of Freedom**

"_**This mission is a top priority matter for the General Affairs department. We need to learn as much as possible with this new group, if they will either be a nuisance or a real threat," Tseng explained as he turned the ignition on for the armored utility truck. **_

"_**So that's why it's just us three?" Zack asked, setting himself down on the bench in the bed of the enclosed vehicle. Cloud looked over his shoulder from the passenger seat, seeing his friend lay back to take a nap. **_

"_**Yes, for now."**_

It had been hours since they settled into their cove near their destination, taking refuge inside the rocky terrain a few miles away from their vehicle they hid. Zack was taking the first overnight watch in a southern inlet of rocks while he was to stay here with Tseng. Finishing up his pack of rations for a late dinner, Cloud tucked the empty wrapper inside his pack, then stood up to stretch.

There wasn't much to do outside the basic bodyguard work as the Turk used the surveillance equipment, lifted his finger up once in a while to be extra quiet when he found activity on the terrorist radio waves. Tseng held the headset closer to his ears when he adjusted the knob on the parabolic sonic listening device, his dark eyes narrowed in suspicion. Not wanting to interrupt the intel work, the blond quietly moved to make a round outside, but the man that had been silent for hours grabbed his wrist instead.

"Go get Zack," Tseng instructed, releasing his hold. "We need to head back earlier than expected."

"Abort the mission?" Cloud questioned. They haven't been here for very long to warrant going back already.

"Not necessarily. We have reached our goal by collecting some of their names, but staying any longer would only put innocent lives in danger."

"What are you saying?"

"Avalanche isn't a simple resistance group. They are...an uprising against technology that will achieve their goals by any means necessary. The bomb in Kalm was meant for the Asura Amphitheater in Edge, at the Lenne concert in three days. They are planning to still make that strike, as scheduled," he explained calmly, collecting the equipment up to put away into the black cargo bag. "We have no time to waste with this new information."

Indeed, they didn't. The soldier was alarmed by the chosen target for the group, and they had to make a considerable amount of distance away before they even made a warning call about the civilian target to not be found out. And the chance to not have an alert go through to HQ about the innocent people in harm's way was also too much to risk.

He was too far away and yet Tifa was far closer to the next bombing point than he currently was, and it unsettled him. She lived in Midgar, but what if she and Yuffie went to Edge at the same time Avalanche decided to strike? They had to get back.

Still feeling anxious on the inside, he kept his demeanor cool when he stepped into the moonlight to retrieve his partner. Outside the cave entrance, he was met with a blunt force at the back of his head, knocking him out cold as darkness started to envelop his vision.

_Tifa..._

* * *

"_Are you kidding me right now?" Zack asked her, his suitcase now on the living room floor where he let it drop. He crossed his arms, and his usual happy face quickly turned sour. "Our flight leaves in two hours." _

"_I know, but I-I can't do this. I can't tell Dad about you," Aerith confessed with a fragile tone, her palm rested on his bicep. She couldn't blame her boyfriend for being upset with her last-minute switch. _

"_Because you think we'll break up?" he questioned her again, his voice harsh. _

"_You don't understand what he is like, what his power can do to hurt your career."_

"_I don't care about that. I'm First Class, I'll be fine staying where I'm at. Or not at Shinra HQ at all if he goes that far. I'm not your ex," he defended himself from her inner fears._

_She squeezed his arm gently, her heart weighed heavily with guilt from her apprehension. "I know...I know you're not like him."_

"_Then trust me, Aerith!" He stepped away from her hold, clearly agitated with the situation. His back was turned to her as he padded over to the window. _

_She had never seen him this infuriated before, but his annoyance with her need for secrecy had finally reached a boiling point. His invitation that they take the next step to move in together made her heart flutter with pure happiness, but it also made her hesitant. Aerith loved Zack very deeply, she didn't want to lose him if her father's inevitable disapproval and impulsive actions towards him was too much for him. The chestnut-haired girl knew why it was important for him to meet her father, but they didn't need anyone's approval for that. _

"_We can still move in together. There is still a way we can."_

"_Aerith..." he interjected, leaning on the window frame as he glanced at her, his hand on his hip._

"_There is!" she stepped forward, her face full of hope to still make this work. It wouldn't be exactly like he wanted, but it could still happen! She was determined. "We can get a place, and you can just use Cloud's address on file—" _

"_Do you hear yourself right now?!" he cut her off, his anger flared at her suggestion. He threw his arm out in rage. "I am not—"_

"_Zack, please!" she pleaded with him, her fists clenched at her sides. She shook her head once as she took a deep breath. "I know it's not ideal, but it's the only secure way that we can be together while living together. Cloud will understand to not tip off Dad—"_

"_If we're not telling your family we are together, there is no way we are getting our own place," __Zack stated, his eyes hard and unblinking__. She could see the sparks in his violet eyes, __glinting with rage__. _

_But she never faltered under his intense gaze or fiery words. She refused to do so. "You wanted to get our own place, but we don't need my dad to know about you to make that happen. Please, Zack, I'm just not ready for him to know! Why can't you let this be?! I just want more time with you before I tell my dad." _

"_I thought we were past the point of you needing more time," he gave a disheartened look and pulled himself off the windowpane. The raven-haired man marched past her until he reached his luggage. _

"_What do you mean?" she questioned as she whirled around. Her eyes bored into his back while her heart throbbed painfully at his choice of words. _

"_W__hen you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible," he couldn't even look at her when he strained this, and she heard him swallow hard before he continued. "I don't think you are ready for that." _

"_Zack…"_

"_Figure out what you want, Aerith." He picked up his suitcase and stormed out of her apartment._

_._

_._

_._

She had a lovely evening with her family at the upscale restaurant that overlooked the snowy glacier in the far distance. They were on the edge of Icicle Inn Village, but even on a beautiful night that had the northern lights cut through the darkened sky, she couldn't enjoy it fully. Her emerald eyes misted over the course of dinner whenever her thoughts were distracted by Zack and their last argument. She knows what she wants, but she can't exactly have it because of who her father is and his expectations for her. Gast Faremis has high hopes for her to succeed in his work when the time comes and a man not suitable for her, one not of status, isn't ideal for her to marry.

"Aerith, are you alright?"

"Hmm?" she turned to who questioned her, and saw her Aunt Elmyra with a look of concern downcasted upon her face.

Just like her mother, she was always so kind to her for as long as she could remember. Her Uncle Martine shared the same concern with his soft brown eyes on her. On and on her father talked about the latest breakthrough with a new type of elixir, but even her mother stopped paying attention when she saw her daughter's depressed look.

"Aerith?" Ifalna questioned.

"Excuse me," she sat up from the table, making an exit for the front lobby. It was too hard to pretend that everything was perfect tonight.

Her mother knew for a while she was dating, but not ever who, or the details. Or even the troubles, just left it at that she had found a man she loved with all her heart. As any mother would, she pressed for more information, but was shushed and made to promise to keep it to herself. Her father would never understand, and when the time was right she would tell him the truth. She just had no idea when that would be, and it clearly wasn't now like her boyfriend had hoped for them.

He was always so overprotective of her, a constant cause of interference in her past relationships. She always rolled her green eyes at her father, figured it was just him doing what dads do. It escalated as she got older and she found out what his prospects were for her during her college years. But she never took his expectations of who she was to marry seriously until she dated Tseng.

Even though she had moved on from the Turk and found her true love in Zack, the ending of the relationship still troubled her. Her father meddled in his promotion after he found out about them. The man had every right to be irate, his career was almost ruined, but Aerith was left with a broken heart as the end result. The businessman dumped her and eventually climbed the ranks in his profession.

It was unfair of her, but she felt anxious that Zack might do the same in turn.

Now in the privacy of the lobby, she pulled out her cell phone to call him. It's been almost two days since she saw him, and she hates that she has not heard his voice.

"Hey, you've reached Zack. I'm out on Shinra biz right now, so my response time isn't up to me. Leave a message," his sweet voice delivered the voicemail. The phone didn't even ring, just automatically answered to his voice service. She disconnected the call and checked her voicemails and text messages.

Nothing from him.

Her heart dropped at the sign he was indeed out on a mission and hadn't bothered to inform her. Their last fight was indeed a heated one, but he always told her when he was out on business, even in past arguments. It stung as she remembered his last words to her and didn't call.

_Zack...are we gonna make it this time? _

Maybe, maybe he wasn't really gone. Maybe he was just avoiding her. Using her speed dial, she made a call to his roommate that could give her some answers. Hearing his voicemail as well, her heart was fluttering with anxiety.

* * *

"_**Hi Tifa, it's Aerith. When you get a chance, could you call me back? I'm trying to find Zack. Cloud isn't answering...I need to talk to Zack." **_

She had worked late into the night and thought it was somewhat odd that her friend didn't know her own boyfriend's whereabouts. Cloud was currently on the same assignment as him, and although she didn't know where he was, she had an idea.

After she showered and relaxed into her cushioned bed, she got the okay from Aerith to return her phone call so late into the night. Tifa explained to her friend that both men were out on the same mission, one that involved Avalanche since yesterday afternoon.

"They've really been gone since I left?" her friend's voice wavered between distress and disbelief at the news.

"Yeah. Cloud made it sound like it would be up to a week or more," the brunette gave more details. "That's all that I know, the rest being highly classified."

"I just...I can't believe it. He really didn't say goodbye to me!?" Aerith questioned with a tang of bitterness at the end.

"Well I know they didn't have much time," she tried to smooth over. "As soon as Cloud told me he left within an hour."

"This is just a first. Zack always called me when he had a mission, to say goodbye. Even if he was really pissed off at me..."

Picking up at the heart of the matter, she chimed in to get her friend to open up. "I'm not sure what is going on...between you two, but if you need to talk, I'm here to listen."

"I went to go visit my parents back home and Zack was going to go with me this time," Aerith began. "I changed my mind last minute about him meeting them...so we had a big fight about it. He wants to meet my parents so we can move in together, but we don't need them for that. I wasn't expecting him to not talk to me at all though."

Tifa nodded as she listened on the phone. There had to be more to this, and her new friend made it clear that her relationship was a very sensitive topic for her to speak openly up, especially at work. However, she sympathized with the overly cheerful man, who must've felt a big rejection from the trip being canceled for him. She took a guess out loud at what came across her mind to try and pry. "Do your parents not know about Zack?"

Aerith sighed into the phone. "My mother knows I'm seeing someone, but not who. Dad can't know about Zack. He'd make our lives difficult. It'd happened once before, when I was dating a different guy at work a long time ago. He was furious, and my ex almost got his career ruined."

"But why?"

"My dad is Professor Gast Faremis, as in Faremis Labs, and member of the great Shinra Board," her friend confessed, her tone strained while she unfolded this information.

Her carmine eyes widened at who her friend was. _So that's why she wanted the relationship a secret. _"Wow. I get it now. That's...a lot for the both of you. I'm assuming that Cloud knows?"

"Mmhmm, and you're the second one outside of this relationship that knows at Shinra," Aerith answered her. "But you can't tell anyone. No one knows he is my father, and I want it to stay that way. Please, I don't want him to go near Zack."

"Aerith, I won't say anything. If I hear from Cloud, I'll let you know."

"Thanks, Tifa."

* * *

It was dark for a long time, but he was slowly coming to. One, two, three blinks, he could make out greenish-blue stalactites hanging from above him. The few hanging miners' lights in the cave-dwelling provided a bit of light with the rocky walls glistening from the dampness of the grotto he found himself in.

_How did I get here? _he wondered to himself, as he slowly tried to recall his memory. Zack remembered seeing movement during the stakeout, and had realized they were caught. He tried to reach for the emergency transmitter to alert Cloud and Tseng of Avalanche of the inevitable ambush, but blacked out as he hit the button.

The First Class Soldier tried to sit up but struggled since his back felt stiff from the hard wooden bench he laid on. After a grunt, he sat up and found his hands were bound in front of him. His feet scraped across loose pebbles under his thick boots.

"Zack, you okay?"

_Cloud?!_

He blinked a few more times, but made out his comrades under the dim lights in the stone hollowed room. On an opposite bench across from him sat his two friends. "You're both captured too? I got hit by a tranquilizer and I tried to send a distress signal before I passed out. Guess it didn't work."

"I think we've been here for almost a day, judging by the two counts of rations we've received," Tseng informed him. The man had his back slumped up against the cave wall, and despite their circumstances, Zack had never witnessed him in a relaxed sitting position before. "We need to get out."

"Shinra's focusing security on the wrong part of the city. We have to warn them," Cloud stressed his point. His smalt blue eyes were seriously troubled by his own affirmation.

Zack leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he took in the bad news. "So they're not targeting Mako Reactors?"

"No. It's beyond Shinra. Avalanche is seeking a total genocide of mankind for environmental reasons, making civilian losses a strategy in itself," the Turk clarified calmly, his composure was cool as the delivery. "So not only Mako Reactors, but places inside the city that use a lot of energy."

"Do they not know of our green energy efforts for the last 50 years or are these people choosing to live in the dark?" he asked dryly, truly astounded by this anti-Shinra group they had to inspect and now escape from.

"They don't care. It's still an environmental crime against the Planet," the dark-haired man answered.

Zack lifted his joined hands in frustration before he violently thrust them down. "Oh, for fuck's sake. _Extremists?"_

"Seems that way," the blond shrugged.

Zack let out a heavy sigh. He didn't want to be in this makeshift jail cell and if his girlfriend hadn't canceled their plans he wouldn't be here. His feelings were mixed about her as of now, as he truly loved her. But he was beyond agitated with her stance to keep them a secret. He wanted to start a life with her, but she couldn't trust him.

He missed the scent of rose petals from her chestnut wavy hair, the smoothness of her satin skin when he held her, and her jade-colored eyes that would light up around him. Most of all, he missed her smile he put on her gorgeous face. He smiled when he thought of her sweet laughter during the small teases and touches by her from the night of their very first date together.

Aerith's heart was always so kind to others, especially to him, so it hurt like hell when she rejected him. Why couldn't she trust him enough to really start their lives together? To build a future? His heart and hopes broke at her renounced plans, and he felt another wave of rage coming on again.

"Y'know, instead of being here, I could've been up north meeting Aerith's parents," he casually commented. He tsked and shook his head at how luck played out for him. "But here I am."

"Zack—"

"It's fine, Cloud. Tseng isn't gonna say shit."

"I'm glad to see she has moved on," the agent stated as his brown eyes glanced up. He sounded relieved to hear the news about him with Aerith, rather than upset like any jealous ex would be. "I know I hurt her. How long have you two been together?"

He chuckled as he met his friend's eyes. Zack never talked about his relationship with anyone besides his roommate before, and here he was, being held hostage with her ex. "Over a year in secrecy. Still won't let me meet her parents." His intention was simply to relate to him, not rub it in his face.

"It's for the best," Tseng empathized, then laughed. "Faremis isn't any better than any extremist here when it comes to his daughter. She's trying to shield you from his wrath interfering with your career."

"Can't marry a Shinra executive's daughter without him finding out on his own because of where I work, now can I?" he casually shrugged as he made his point. He pretty much told the auburn-haired girl of his intentions with her the other night, but then she backed out. He didn't want to think that she may not want to. All he wanted to do was take the next step with her. It was a lot to think about that she may not be on the same page with him, or holding herself back from a fear of him leaving her. A fear she didn't need to have.

"Touché."

"Wait, you're the ex-boyfriend Turk that was with Aerith?" Cloud's cobalt eyes widened at the realization, turning to the man next to him on the bench.

The operative nodded back to the blond. "A long time ago. It didn't last too long when her father found out."

"I knew the story, I just never knew who."

"Anyway, how about we get the hell out of here?" Zack laid back against the craggy side of the cave. "Any idea what these fuckers want with us?"

"They probably want to know what we know about them," Tseng estimated, his russet eyes narrowed in thought. "An interrogation must be in the works, otherwise they would've killed us off already."

"I'll be my sweet self if they pick me," Zack sarcastically remarked.

"Well, you would handle this way better than the likes of Roche," the Turk quipped back. "We would've been executed just from his flamboyance assertion before we even were given food."

"Thanks for your silver lining, I guess," the ebony-haired man sardonically replied. "I'm touched."

"Can we focus on how we're gonna do this? We don't just have our own asses to save," Cloud cut in to get the group back on the right track. They really didn't have much time at all if the terrorists were going to bomb an entertainment center full of innocent people.

"They pick me, I kick their ass, and we're all good after I get the keys?" he raised his dark eyebrow to the blond across from him.

"Zack…" he grumbled back at him. "Let's strategize more than that, shall we?"

_._

_._

_._

It's been hours since they formulated an exit strategy. Cloud bounced his leg impatiently, his back leaned up against the cavern wall with his eyes closed. The room had been mostly quiet for a long while with no activity outside the steel barred door. A headache was coming on from the lack of food, and he placed his concentration elsewhere.

_Tifa._

He wanted to get back to her, to make sure she was safe. Given the location of the target, he knew she would be fine, but it distressed him with the fact he wasn't in the vicinity of Midgar to protect her. He was trapped here in the abandoned Mythril Mines the extremists made into their hideout.

"Boss wants to talk."

His eyes cracked open at the unfamiliar voice. The jail cell door unlocked and two guards walked inside, one armed with a gun, and the other with a combat knife. Both were wearing pure black utility pants, long sleeve shirts of the same material, and military caps. The man with the handgun stepped further into the room as his partner stood by the entrance.

After he swept a glance amongst the three prisoners, he pointed his gun exclusively at Cloud. "You. Stand up."

Without a word, he stood up and faced the barrel of the weapon pointed at his face.

"Are you Second Class?" the man demanded to know.

His icy blue eyes narrowed back at the Avalanche member. "Maybe."

The guard was unamused and pressed his lips tightly together before he spoke. He grabbed Cloud by the arm, pulled him to his side, and cocked the gun by the back of his ear. "Don't get cocky with me! Are you Second Class? Yes or no?!"

Cloud grimaced as he felt the hard metal touch his skin from the gun pointed to his head. He wanted to struggle out of his vice-like grip, but the timing was too soon. Instead, he swallowed hard before he answered the terrorist. "...yes."

The armed guard roughly shoved him forward a few steps, enough for the blond to right himself upright, even if he was in handcuffs. Cloud endured the violent handling and didn't let his face show any emotion from the encounter. He took a deep inhale instead, knowing it was up to him now to get them out if he was the one chosen for questioning.

"Then move," the gunner spat out his order.

"Wouldn't you rather have a higher rank to interrogate?" Zack tried to persuade from where he sat on the bench, his hands still confined together.

Cloud shifted his line of sight to his friend and saw the concern in his royal blue eyes. He was trying to save them all when he didn't have to intervene.

"No, the weakest link always chokes first," the radical turned to the First Class Soldier. "But don't worry Soldier Boy, you're next."

_Weakest link, huh? _Cloud remained impassive, but kept his eyes on Zack to reassure he's got them covered in their plan. The guard came up to grab his arm again to tow him forward.

"Fuhito would like to be updated on SOLDIER," the cocky guard stared into his eyes.

The blond kept his facial impression stoic, but that name alone did raise the hair on the back of his neck. _Fuhito?! He can't be back, he's dead! _

He cooperated, falling into steps with the man when he noticed the guard focusing ahead instead of him. Seeing an opening, Cloud slammed his full body weight into the side of the assailant, ramming him into the rocky wall. The captor let out a surprised yelp that ended with a strangled moan on impact. There was no need to look up to know he hit his head; the sickening thud of it hitting the jagged surface was telling enough. With no time to waste, Cloud grabbed the gun that had fallen on the ground. The other guard at the front of the jail entrance took a step back, visibly rattled from seeing his fellow Avalanche member on the ground bleeding from his head.

"St-stop...I mean it!" The other guard lifted his combat knife with an unsteady grip. His timid yellow orbs shook when he heard the firearm being cocked. Not only did Avalanche underestimate their own recon group, but also sent in an underarmed and inexperienced radical for backup. A foolish mistake on their part, but one Cloud could take advantage of.

He stood up slowly, aiming the gun at the lone guard. "Drop your weapon, hand us the keys and we won't kill you," he demanded. This was his key strategy, keeping his cool to outsmart the incompetent man to make their escape as quiet as possible.

The blade dropped to the stone floor with a clang, and the scared youth pulled the keys from a hook on his vest. Tseng hastily claimed them from him and immediately began to unlock Zack's handcuffs. Cloud's electric blue eyes never left the guard, and both his hands were steady on the gun to keep his target compliant. Without being asked, the nervous man lifted his arms above his head to surrender.

_Did this scout really believe in Avalanche? _the blond wondered. Whatever the root cause for his impotence was, he didn't care. Cloud motioned with his head for him to walk to the center of the room. "Move or I'll shoot you right now."

The guard nervously nodded back and complied. As soon as he saw an opening, the Second Class soldier used the grip panel of the gun to strike the back of the terrorist's head. The man slumped over immediately, passed out on the floor.

"How's that for the weakest link?" Cloud smugly asked as he looked at both guards he knocked out cold himself.

"Not bad at all," Zack remarked back, then held up the keys in his newly freed hands as he walked over to the blond, and signaled he held out his hands for his bindings to be unlocked. "Let's get the hell out of here."

"We have no time to waste," Tseng pointed out, and moved to examine the fallen guards. His hands padded the body of each one and he found what he was looking for: another key. "This should be the key to the locked cabinet that is holding our weapons. Casualties by a silent swoop is our only chance to get out of here."

"Swords and a silencer. Got it," Zack approved of the plan.

Cloud tucked the handgun on the back of his belt, in case he needed it later. He was trained in a lot of weaponry, but preferred his sword over bullets. "Don't get ahead of yourself. These guards were underarmed to deal with me, but I'm sure the pack in the front are better equipped."

The party moved out of the jail cell with caution, peering down the hallway first if the coast was clear. No activity in sight, the Turk locked the cell door and moved to the cabinet to unlock their gear. Zack grabbed his sword as soon as the door was ajar and handed the other blade to Cloud. Tseng found his silencer and checked the ammo, seeing it still loaded. "I will take point."

"Hold on," Cloud moved past them to retrieve another handgun, and held it out to the other swordsman. He then grabbed a few magazine clips for safe measure. "You just never know."

Zack took the weapon and tucked it in his back belt as well for later use. "Ready when you are."

_._

_._

_._

"These guys just don't want to make it easy, do they?" the black-haired Soldier said, crouched behind a boulder near the entrance of the cave to shield himself from the onslaught of bullets. His partner was doing the same while Tseng went outside the front to take down any guards to secure their escape. The small trio had just cleared the room and was about to leave when five more terrorists came in as a surprise attack. Zack ordered the Turk out to clear the front while they stayed behind to hold the new group off.

Cloud peered past the rock face to see the remaining sentries still left alive. He aimed his gun to shoot them off. "Only two left."

"Only two assholes left," Zack corrected and got ready to point his weapon again. He always preferred his sword over a gun, but this assured their escape from this hell hole. _Bang!_ One bullet into the chest and the sentry fell over with a thud. "Now only one asshole left."

"Shoot more, talk less," the blond smartly commented, moving his weapon to focus on the remaining radical.

He narrowed his amethyst eyes on his target and pierced the last guy left in the shoulder, just above his heart. It was nearly a fatal shot, and just one more would do the job. The Avalanche member grabbed his bleeding wound and screamed in agony as he moved over to a table cluttered with supplies. Zack pulled the trigger again, but only heard an empty click. "Shit."

The injured anarchist had reached for a box, one that closely resembled a detonator for a bomb. "You won't stop Fuhito. Not this time!"

"It's gonna blow!" Zack's eyes widened in shock.

Cloud stood promptly and grabbed his arm to pull him along. "Then move your ass!"

Without a second thought, they both bolted outside to the fresh air, the evening sun rays greeted their faces with freedom. The blast far behind them was set off, and the two men plunged forward to protect themself from the explosion. The entrance to the terrorist hideout caved in, heavy boulders shifted down from the mountainside when the earth shook.

He coughed from the amount of dust that covered the air and pushed himself off the ground. Cloud got up as well, and they both brushed off the scattered dirt that clung to their uniforms. "We gotta find Tseng," the First Class Soldier stated with another cough.

Cloud shook his hair to get the extra dust out just as the man in question ran up to them. Tseng lowered his gun when he approached them. "Are you two alright?!"

"Yeah, still in one piece here," Zack pumped his fist into his chest twice, a flurry of dust appearing in front of him once again.

"We need to secure a vehicle," Cloud spoke up.

"The front is all cleared, and I spotted our cargo truck over there," the Turk pointed to a direction further ahead. Both men spotted their Shinra transportation a short distance away. "I can hotwire it if necessary. After we are in a close distance to Midgar, we'll get in contact to warn them about the bombing. I don't think there are any other Avalanche members nearby, but I don't wanna tip them off with a radio transmission."

"Right…shall we mosey on over to the truck then?"

Cloud nodded. "We should make it back by midnight. But something concerns me."

Zack led the trek back to retrieve their vehicle, as no more time can be wasted. He glanced over his shoulder to his friend. "What's wrong?"

"The extremists mentioned 'Fuhito' twice, being alive," his tone was troubled, yet steady.

"Fuhito?" Tseng repeated, a bit skeptical. "He died 7 years ago from the Wutai incident."

"It doesn't sit well with me. Especially when they share the same ideology."

Zack's brow furrowed as he kept his pace as he overheard his comrades' discussion. It'd be impossible for the man to be alive. Fuhito was a weapons developer for Shinra, turning rogue and tried to blow up a reactor in Wutai years ago. He was caught and killed before any lives were lost. But neither he nor Cloud ever dealt with Fuhito before as he was eliminated before they even joined the company. He's not even sure if Tseng did at a lower rank.

"True," the Turk agreed. "We should report that too."

"Yeah, yeah," he nonchalantly nodded as he continued in the lead. They needed to get back as quickly as possible, given the circumstances of the next target. Zack began to pick up his pace into a jog to the truck, leaving behind the two to speculate as he readied the vehicle for departure. A blinding heat penetrated just below his collarbone, making his arm go limp.

"Ahhhhh!" Zack yelled in agony. The pain propelled him to stop moving, and he felt a wetness trickle down his chest as his upper body felt numb. He grabbed what he knew was a gunshot wound, his adrenaline in full throttle from the injury. "Take cover!" he shouted out a warning.

Another bullet then struck his lower abdomen, making him cry out louder. Blood was pouring out faster from his newer wound, and Zack sunk to his knees quickly. His body was on fire, trying to fight him to stay still, but he made himself slump over for protection. His face flat against the barren ground, he couldn't see his friends. He heard gunshots fire from behind him and hoped it was them, fighting for their freedom.

He blinked a few times when his steady eyes looked into the horizon, the sky going from a golden hue to shades of pink and red as the sun began to set. His body still felt warm, but he couldn't tell anymore if it was from his afflicted wounds or the orange rays that touched him. Zack heard faint shouts in the background, along with more gunfire as his vision fought off waves of darkness.

_Aerith… _he placed his focus on thinking about her; about her beauty. Her sweet verdant eyes had always greeted him with a smile, and sparkled like a fresh sheen of morning dew upon the grass. Eyes that captured his heart near the beginning, and only enraptured him further with that warm smile she had for him. He wished he had handled things differently at her apartment the other day. He brought up this idea too quickly, without properly preparing to handle her fears and worries as he had always done.

He didn't even call to say goodbye to her. To tell her the words 'I love you' one last time, just as he did before on any mission.

_Aerith…I_ —_I'm sorry. _

"ZAAACCCKKK!"

* * *

**Author's Note Continued: **Oh no, not Zack! But you all won't find out what happens to him for five_ whole days_, since the next prompt post isn't until the end of **_Endless_** **_Summer_**. It's just how it worked out for the prompt list, nothing intentional on my part! Teehee.

Happy _Cloti/Zerith Week_!


	8. Back to You

**Disclaimer: **_Final Fantasy VII_ with the characters, items, places, etc. are the property of _Square Enix, Inc_. No infringement is intended.

**Author's Note:** Prompt for _**Endless Summer 2020**_ for the _CloTi-Zerith Week _on _Tumblr/Twitter._ This year is an 80's theme!

Thank you to both _**DrWaffle **_and _**mayelisa (AO3) **_being my beta readers to review for this Zerith arc. I'm so sorry where I left you all at one the last update (okay, not really!) but I didn't leave you in wonder for _too_ long. I picked the movie quote from **Brewster's Millions (1985)**: "Listen, tomorrow, things will be different. I won't be like this anymore," for the July 21st prompt. Which ended up being posted a little late. _Sorry! _I had to rearrange content around as the chapter wasn't sitting well with me, and I wouldn't feel right if I delivered anything below standards to you all. We got some pure Cloti in this chapter! But for Zerith...you'll have to read and find out.

The title of the story was inspired by Utada Hikaru's song "Final Distance".

**-. Final Distance .-**

**Chapter VIII: Back to You**

The bullet wounds on his friend were so small with ragged edges where dark congealing blood oozed from. He hadn't dealt with this kind of injury on the battlefield for a long time, but Cloud had basic medic training to buy the fallen soldier some time. Both he and Tseng fought off the remaining Avalanche members that ambushed them with the limited ammo they had before they sprinted over to Zack. Gently, they both managed to get him into the back of the military cargo truck, laying him down on a wide bench.

Cloud lifted the bottom compartment door open to remove the emergency medical supply box as Tseng jumped out the back and secured the doors shut. The blond may not be able to remove the bullets, but he can slow down the bleeding with the elixirs his friend had packed. Using the scissors, he cut the sweater vest open to tend to the abdominal wound and put a thick layer of white gauze with tape to suppress the bleeding.

Zack grimaced from the applied pressure, sweat dripping down his brow. "Would be nice to get some morphine."

"Hold still," Cloud commanded, getting a needle from the medical box. After he disinfected the skin on his friend's forearm, he injected a small dose of the painkiller. "I need to get this bleeding under control."

"Hang on Zack, we'll call for a proper medical team once we are in the clear," Tseng called from the driver's seat as he climbed into the vehicle.

Taking the scissors in hand again, the light-haired soldier clipped off the navy blue fabric near Zack's shoulder. Blood was all over his chest, gushing from the bullet hole under his collarbone. The sweater of the First Class uniform was half soaked in the crimson liquid, now dripping onto the floor. Cloud grabbed another white patch of gauze to stop the flow of blood.

"Don't let me die, man," Zack pleaded, his voice rather shaky.

Cloud looked into his friend's blue-violet eyes, fixed and locked back on him to give him an answer. He could see the man's clammy skin was getting paler. "You're not gonna die."

"That's good to hear. Aerith is mad at me and I don't wanna die when she's mad at me," the ebony-haired man weakly rambled. "Even if she's cute when she's mad, going out at a time like this...I don't want to do that to her."

"You won't," he reiterated. The blond concentrated on the wound and saw the bullet not too far in. He grabbed a pair of forceps and plucked out the metal fragment, discarding it into the tray in the box. There was a lot of blood, but now he can properly get it to stop with the bullet out of the way. Cloud picked up the compressed gauze designed for severe trauma such as this and began to apply pressure and stuff into the wound.

Zack grimaced as he let out a strangled groan. "Fuck, that hurts."

"Calm down, the morphine will kick in in a sec" he replied to his friend, then turned to the driver. "Tseng, how long 'til we can call?"

"About two and a half hours," the agent answered him, keeping his eyes on the road. It was dark outside and he could only go so fast with the increased amount of monsters roaming around, even with the bright headlights of the military truck.

_Two hours...and then another two before a medical team could reach them. _

The odds were not in their favor.

Cloud finished compacting the wound with the trauma gauze, placing a few more layers of bandages on top of the gunshot wound to seal it off with tape. Within a few minutes, the gauze would turn into a gel to speed up coagulation. It's the best for field medicine, but it can only do so much. He won't be able to do much compact dressing to the other gunshot wound, as the bullet was lodged much further inside.

"Zack, you gotta hang on for me. Hang on for Aerith, okay?"

"I just want to marry her," his friend said. "That's why I was so mad she backed out."

"I know, and you will marry her." Cloud tended to wound meticulously, preparing to cover up the gaping injury with the gauze. He had to be careful to not cause further damage to any potential internal bleeding. This is what panicked him the most: he could stop the bleeding, but he couldn't stop the internal factor of it. And he knew that Zack knew this too.

"Cloud, you gotta tell her all this for me," Zack requested weakly. His face was becoming ashen.

"Tell her yourself," Cloud stressed as he finished taping off the thick white patches on his friend's injured abdomen. It was obvious he wasn't in good condition and all he could do was patch him up and take the pain away temporarily. Zack needed medical attention fast or he wouldn't make it. If they called too soon, they could tip off Avalanche and risk all of their lives and the lives of those in Edge with the new bomb being set up.

And the risk of not seeing Tifa again...not being there to protect her.

That was the drive that got him into Soldier in the first place: to protect her. He failed her when he was a kid, but now he was a man. A Soldier, and she was in his life again unexpectedly. Cloud didn't think he had a chance with the girl next door about a year after he left home, but he always held Tifa in his heart.

But right now, he had to protect Zack too.

There were so many factors as to why they had to be discreet about getting back to HQ. All of their communication equipment was in the cave and it was destroyed. The only device they had was a radio, but they had to do something. He couldn't just sit here and do nothing more for his friend. He moved to get up from his knelt position, putting his hand on the side of the truck to stabilize himself.

"Cloud, if you call for help, we all just might die right now," Zack warned him from where he laid on the bench, bloodied and bruised, layered in bandages over his wounds. He was in the most vulnerable position and still worried for them all, but the dark-haired man could always read his mind at this point by just the look he had on his face.

"Listen, I'm not gonna risk us all for your ass, got it?" Cloud asserted to him.

"Cloud—"

"I'm getting you back to Aerith."

The blond pushed himself past the driver's seat to slither into the passenger's side and flipped on the radio once he settled into the cushioned seat. He turned up the volume more after only getting static, hearing the voices of his fellow men. The exchange currently going on in the radio seemed to be a patrol unit outside of Kalm, which would be the opposite direction of the city. "Damnit," he muttered.

"What are you doing?" Tseng asked, side-eyeing him as he concentrated on driving.

"Just _listening_ to get nearby assistance. If we get near another Soldier unit, we can call for help a lot sooner. There is usually someone out and about, even if it's just training," Cloud explained. It was their best and only shot at getting help for Zack.

"So if Avalanche tries anything, we have an adequate backup ready. Smart thinking, Cloud," the Turk observed. He kept his eyes on the road, and his tone was even, yet low. "How bad is he?"

"He won't make it unless we get him into an airlift," the Soldier carefully whispered back. "I stopped the bleeding, but…" he trailed off. There was only so much he could do for a gunshot wound. What their friend needed was beyond his capabilities as a combat medic.

"I was afraid of that," Tseng tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "Go back to Zack, I'll listen and drive. We will get the help to him that he needs."

* * *

"_Wait, Jessie cheated on you?!" He was in pure shock by the news. His roommate had been sorrowful since he returned late last night, which surprised him that he ever showed up at their apartment. Cloud had been out on a mission and texted him that he was staying at his girlfriend's place that night._

_All day his friend was throwing himself in training during their outdoor session until things turned for the worse when a pack of behemoths showed up. They made it out alive, but not without a few deep cuts and bruises from the struggle. Most of their unit was in the infirmary getting patched up like they were, whether it was bandages or stitches. _

_Zack was laid back on the inclined bed, the stitches on his calf already completed. He was waiting for the physician to give him antibiotics, while Cloud sat in his own bed next to him. The emergency room was rather busy, nurses and doctors bustling about to help patients with their injuries. _

_Cloud had his arm laid out on a medical table as the medical staff member sewed up the gash on his forearm. "Yep. Just showed up to see some guy answer her door without a shirt on way too late at night. We argued. I left. It's pretty much over."_

"_Damn, I'm really sorry," Zack said with empathy. "I never thought of her to do something like that. That first chick you got with in Midgar, maybe. But never Jessie. You two were pretty serious about each other."_

"_I never thought so either, but I suspect her cheating has been going on for a while. I haven't really been around with how much I was working and we were fighting a lot for that reason," the blond tersely commented. He kept his blue eyes concentrated on his arm being sutured. "I don't believe her when she says this guy was a one-time thing. I can't." _

"_You know what you need? A girl that's dedicated to you, that will want to be dedicated to you, and that you'll want to be just as dedicated to," Zack pointed out, turning on his side to look straight at his roommate. _

_Cloud narrowed his eyes in return. "I'm really not looking into dating anyone right now."_

_"One that can understand you more than anyone else, even me. One who's willing to put up with your moods. One like Tifa."_

"_Not this again," he sighed. "Why do you always bring her up whenever I'm single?" _

"_Why not? You're in Soldier now. You promised you'd go back to see her once you were," Zack continued to tease. "And you haven't followed through with that. Plus, I kinda want to meet the girl that made a gloomy guy like you chase your dreams just to impress her. Even that one girl you were with was really intimidated by Tifa."_

"_I don't know why. Nothing ever happened between us anyway," Cloud countered as he shook his head. _

"_Plenty did happen without you ever kissing the girl next door," the man with amethyst eyes slapped his thigh. "Don't you just want to try and see her again?" _

_Cloud turned his head away, a tinge of pink on his upper cheeks. "I'm not even in First." _

"_Like that has ever mattered to her," Zack mentioned, not even bothering to hide his amusement. The man was always so stoic, but whenever his dream girl was brought up, he knew Cloud couldn't help but blush. "Don't let Tifa be the one that got away." _

"_Just drop it already." The blond shifted awkwardly as his mouth went into a straight line. _

"_Listen, I'm sorry about bringing her up. I'm sorry all this is happening to you," he began, scratching the back of his neck as he straightened himself up. His friend was hurt, but he also needed to hear this. Locking his eyes with Cloud for the purpose of sincerity, he continued on. "But I'm gonna say this: you should focus on the things that matter, the people that matter. This Soldier job is always hard on our personal lives. One day, you'll find a girl that will understand that about you. Jessie just wasn't that girl for you." He sighed. "You deserve better." _

_Cloud sheepishly smiled back. "Thanks, man." _

* * *

She wasn't expecting this.

Her mid-evening shift ran smoothly in the patient care unit, and she even punched out on time, a rare commodity for her field. She changed into her comfy leggings and threw her midnight blue zip-up hoodie over her grey t-shirt, looking forward to an early night in. Tifa had stepped out of the locker room when her mentor called her over and asked if she was dating Cloud Strife.

There was no reason to hide, so she answered accordingly. It was a recent development, not when he was her patient, so she calmly cleared that up when she told Dr. Hollander the truth. He shook his head, as that was not the reason why he asked, that there was a different matter at hand. Whatever mission they were on was over, they made it back, but not without injury.

She wasn't expecting this at all.

Zack was gravely injured and rushed to surgery. He suffered two gunshot wounds, one to the chest, the other to the abdomen. He was in critical condition but he should make it as the operation was smooth and almost finished. Her eyes widened at the news, and her mind panicked at what could have possibly happened to Cloud. She opened her mouth to inquire about her boyfriend, what injuries he had received, whether he had made it back in one piece or not. Her heart pounded uncomfortably in her chest when she heard what happened to Zack, but had sunk to the pit of her stomach, fearing what fate the man she loved was in.

Cloud was safe and sound, here in the hospital receiving a work up while finalizing a formal report to his superiors. Tifa clutched her chest as she sighed in relief.

"Tifa, when you date a Soldier, there is a certain amount of dedication needed from loved ones," Dr. Hollander placed his hand on her shoulder. His soft brown eyes were both sincere and serious when he paused. He was trying to choose his words carefully. "Physically, Cloud is alright. Everything else, you will have to help him through these kinds of trying times when missions go awry. But I know you can, because you're the girl next door."

_The girl next door? __He knows about us from that far back?_ She chewed her lip when she felt the heat taking over her cheeks. "Sir?"

"Go to him, Tifa. Take a few days off and be there for him. A supported Soldier is a strong Soldier. We understand that around here," he patted her once on the shoulder. "Cloud should be done soon in room 2235."

All she could do was nod slowly before he walked away. Even though both Zack and Cloud were safe, she was still unsettled with what they must've gone through. What happened on their mission? How dangerous were these new eco-terrorists? With each step she took to the designated patient room, she could feel her heart pound intensely inside her chest. A few top-ranking military officers left the room her boyfriend was located in as she approached. Everything was alright with Cloud, but she was still in a panic inside her mind until she saw him with her own eyes.

Her hand clutched the doorknob, willing it to turn quickly and rushed in. She found Cloud sitting on the edge of a hospital bed, wearing navy cargo pants, and a Soldier insignia shirt matching the same color. He had tiny bandages on his upper cheekbones and forehead, and his arm hooked up to IV fluids.

"Tifa…" His electric blue eyes came to life when she walked into the patient room, swiftly making her way over to him. Ever so carefully, she brought her arms up around his neck and wedged herself between his legs. His arm free of the IV tube hooked her around her back, his hand gripping the fabric of her hoodie.

"Are you alright? Dr. Hollander told me you were," her voice wavered against his neck. She knew he was, she just needed to hear him say it.

"Yeah, I started to feel dehydrated once the adrenaline wore off. The IV is for fluids." He brought her closer to him and he took a deep inhale when he buried his face in her soft hair.

Tifa sighed in relief, even though she already knew that information given her medical profession. "He also said Zack will be okay, that his surgery is going very well," she bit her lip, remembering her mentor's advice to be the support he needed. "That must have been so scary for you."

"I thought he wasn't gonna make it, unless I got him help fast. But I did, and he's okay now," Cloud softly admitted. "We found back up and we got ambushed, but we made it out. It was a risk we took and it worked. I'm...just glad it worked."

"What happened out there?"

"We got captured for a bit and escaped the cave before it exploded on us. After that, we came under enemy fire when Zack got shot. But I can't say too much beyond that, not until a public address. I'm under strict orders to not share anything until tomorrow morning," he paused, taking a deep breath. His hands softly finding purchase on her shoulders, mako-blue eyes staring down at her with pointed concern. "I need you to stay at my place tonight. But I want to wait here until Zack is awake from his surgery."

Slowly, the brunette nodded, her hands kept around his neck. _Cloud was captured and escaped from these terrorists?_ It scared her but she had to be calm for him. "Okay. We can do that."

"Tifa..." he breathed out her name and cupped her cheeks. Emotions flickered over his deep sapphire eyes—uneasiness and worry. "I was scared for you too out there. That if we didn't get out, I wouldn't see you again. Or something happening to you."

"Cloud—"

He pressed his mouth over hers and she wasn't prepared for the onslaught of the hot passion he was pursuing with this kiss. Fierce, desperate, and needy, she mewled against his mouth as he took over hers. His tongue slid past her lips and coiled with hers so hard it made her head spin. His mouth continued to conquer hers, his hands beginning to thread through her luscious hair.

Cloud needed her right now, her love and support to take away the pain he endured during a mission gone wrong. But his words of something happening to her had her anxious and although her heart fluttered with excitement from the kiss, it mixed with the potent anxiety of what Avalanche could do _inside_ the city. The city itself was already on high alert after a bomb was found in Kalm. Was Midgar next?

The man was a sworn soldier, so she knew she couldn't pry. She knew she was going to his place tonight to not only console him but also so he could protect her. To make sure she was safe and sound in his arms.

Tifa could give herself to him forever like this if he wanted. But this reunion would only be for a little while until they had to leave the room and go back to reality. So for now, she'd let him get lost in the heat of them.

* * *

It was way past midnight when she walked through the front door of her apartment. Aerith couldn't handle being away anymore. Much to her insistence, she left her trip to head home early and wait for Zack's mission to be over. She had grown tired of lying and pretending that her life was okay in front of her family.

Her mother tried to inquire in a more private setting if there was anything going on with her boyfriend. The only words she could muster was "I don't know" before shutting her suitcase and leaving her old bedroom and concerned mother behind. It was the only time on the trip she could be honest about her life.

Just over a week left and she'd see him. Or perhaps sooner if the mission ended early. She just wanted to put this fight behind them and move in with him. He had sprung on wanting to meet her parents too fast; his enthusiasm had scared her, and she wanted to put their fight behind them. The chestnut-haired girl had plans to eventually tell her father the truth, just not anytime soon.

For now, she'd get some sleep and throw herself into her research project at the lab in the morning. Her work was the distraction she needed until she saw him again. She pulled her suitcase on its tiny wheels to her bedroom, placing it near her dresser where she plopped down her purse. She rifled through her many belongings inside the handbag in search of her phone. On the screen displayed a notification of a voicemail she received over two hours ago, one that she didn't really notice once she got off the plane at the airport. But the name of the person that had called to leave a message stood out.

_Cloud Strife._

She looked at the name once again. _Are they back? _She wondered to herself. But it pained her heart that Cloud was the one that had called her, not Zack. He had to know about the fight, and if he was the one that called, perhaps her boyfriend was still mad at her? Aerith quickly unlocked her phone to play the message, hoping to hear they made it back already.

"_Hey...I know it's really late but—Aerith, there was an accident." T_here was a long pause after this, the shake in his voice apparent. She could tell he was struggling to tell her the news she began to fear from his words. She tried to steady her hand as she held the phone to her ear, but she felt her heart begin to fall through her chest cavity. "_You need to hop on the next flight back home. Zack got shot pretty bad and he's in surgery. He….he really needs you right now—please come back home for him." _

Her verdant eyes were wide open in a stunned expression as the tears fell down her rosy cheeks.

_Zack...got shot?_

_._

_._

_._

Somehow she made it to the hospital without having a complete breakdown. She shook in the backseat of the cab ride, tears pouring down her face as she told the driver her destination. Aerith wiped the tears from her eyes when she approached the front desk and asked for the patient she needed to see.

"Zack Fair is in Room 4781. His surgery ended about an hour ago. What is your relationship to the patient?"

"I'm his girlfriend," she clarified, and those words were never spoken to anyone inside the walls of the Shinra Building before. Consequences be damned as seeing Zack was more important than her need for secrecy to protect her relationship. She took her guest pass and clipped it to her blush pink cardigan she wore over her white tank top, paired with light wash jeans and white canvas shoes. She was still dressed from what she wore on her flight home.

It's been a long time since she visited this part of the Shinra Headquarters before, the building that was a hospital attended for soldiers and public alike. It was only attached to the main building by a few skyways for walking purposes that she knew of. Even if Zack had an injury before, it was always minor with outpatient care. Aerith never even delivered a stock of potions to this part, as she only toured through the hospital during her orientation as an intern.

The clean white walls with a picture frame here and there were somewhat familiar, and she followed the signs through the recovery unit after she left the elevators. _Room 4777...Room 4779...Room 4781. _

She paused outside the open door, feeling the tears well up in her eyes again when she heard the faint beeping of the monitor matched his heartbeat. She pinched the hem of her cardigan that hung loosely around her thighs and she took a deep, shaky breath. Her heart had been racing this whole time and she found that it had slowed down, keeping the same tempo as the heart monitor. The same tempo as Zack's heartbeat as if time was slowing down for her. Or as if she was becoming numb to the pain that befell her.

A few short steps and she froze up again. Just barely inside the room herself and there on the bed surrounded by monitors and a few IVs laid the man that held her future. The man that she loved and needed, hooked up to tubes that were for the purpose of intravenous drips or ones that supplied air. His chest was bare, and pure white bandages covered his upper right chest and lower left abdomen.

Her fingers touched her quivering lips as she felt the hot tears come down her face again. She didn't want to see him like this, as she remembered the last time she saw him his perfect amethyst eyes that always cheered her up were full of hurt, sadness, and anger when she rejected him. She couldn't imagine what he had gone through out there, and knowing how they fought before she left could've been their last memory...

"Aerith?" the surprised, yet familiar voice was low.

She blinked a few times to clear her blurry vision from her crying. A few more tears fell down and she made out Cloud and Tifa sitting in the corner of the room, holding hands. The dark brunette got up quickly to hug her, cradling Aerith in her arms as she cried a little more.

"His vitals are really good and there were no complications in surgery," Tifa reassured her, gently squeezing her shoulders to look at her with her vermillion eyes. "All the post-op tests were promising. Zack's gonna pull through, we're just waiting for him to wake up."

Cloud staggered behind a bit, looking apologetic towards her. "There was an ambush when he got shot. We weren't expecting this to happen out there," he ran his hand through his wild hair. "I'm really glad that you came here to be with him. I just wasn't expecting to see you so soon after I called you."

"I was on a flight back when you called," she took a deep breath. She wiped her tears again as she hid her face from her friends. "I was gonna come back and…" she choked up, her grief and guilt being too much for her. Aerith never expected to come back to find him in a hospital bed. She was growing tired of hiding her feelings for him and she should just trust Zack.

"There was something he wanted me to tell you out there when he thought he wasn't gonna make it back to you," Cloud stated, his voice soft. He saw her face light up at this information, and just as she opened her mouth to ask what it was, he spoke again. "But I told him he had to tell you himself."

"So he would still...want me to be here when he wakes up?"

"I called you here for him because I knew he'd want you to be here," Cloud's smile reassured her even more. "And I knew despite your circumstances, you'd be here for him too."

Aerith walked to the side of his bed, taking his hand carefully into hers despite it being free of the wires that were helping him heal. More tears rolled down her cheeks as she sat on the edge of the bed, seeing his chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm. He was here with her, and he was going to make it through, but she almost lost him. Zack could've died and the last words he spoke to her would've been ones that lacked faith for their relationship.

But she made him question their future when she rejected him, just because he wanted to really start a life with her. If he wanted to move in with her, he was a man that wasn't going to leave her. If he wanted to one day marry her like he hinted, he was a man that would always love her.

She should've trusted him more.

"I'm so sorry, Zack," she whispered, she leaned over to brush the bangs out of his face. He looked so peaceful in his sleep. She sat back up, cradling his cheek with her hand, feeling relief that he felt so warm despite his condition. "Things are gonna be different when you wake up later. I promise."

"Hey Aerith, we're gonna head out," Cloud spoke up behind her. She turned around to see the couple standing at the foot of the bed, hand in hand. "You two have some time to make up for."

She nodded in agreement, understanding what he meant. "Thank you."

"You'll keep us posted?" Tifa beamed back at her.

Her friend was new to her, but the crimson eyed girl looked overly happy to see the happenings of a reunion between her and Zack. Aerith had to face her fears if she wanted to keep her boyfriend by her side, and he deserved more of her faith with her love for him.

"I will."

_._

_._

_._

His eyes lazily opened, peering up at a white ceiling before him. Wherever he was, the room was dimly lit. There was only one light on, just above his bed. There was a steady beep inside the room he was in and he tried to recall how he may have ended up at what he presumed was the hospital. Zack groaned as he tried to sit up in the bed, but found himself too weak to move on his own. His right arm was littered with wires and tubes, hooked up to IVs and a few monitors, along with bandages on his chest and stomach. His brow furrowed in confusion, as he has never been this injured before in a training session.

_What the hell happened to him? _

He closed his eyes to try and recall his memory. There was an ambush, and he remembered almost too vividly the impact of the bullets that hit him. Cloud's panicked face when he dressed his wounds as best as he could in the back of the military truck crossed his mind before it went all black. His friend got him back home like he said he would. But where was Cloud?

Zack looked around the room he was in. The door was open and he could see a busy nurse station not too far from the entrance. There was no one on the couch in the far corner of the room. The blinds were opened, letting the moonlight trickle inside across the floor and hit the end of this bed.

He spotted the form of a slender girl sitting quietly in the chair on the left side of his bed. Even in the darkened room, Zack could still recognize those soft brown curls and shiny emerald eyes anywhere.

_Aerith…_

Their eyes were locked on one another and he was almost in disbelief she was here. She never showed up when he was injured, but this was the worst shape he has ever ended up in since he enlisted. He pulled on the handlebar that was on the side of the hospital bed to straighten himself up to get a better look at her. She still didn't move and her hand was still clutched to her chest this whole time. Was he imagining her being here? He couldn't be with how vividly green her eyes were, and even in the dimly lit room, he could spot a light blush on her cheeks.

Slowly, she rose from her chair.

"_**I'm getting you back to Aerith."**_

This was real.

_She_ was real.

"Aerith?"

"Hey...it's me," she said, sitting down on the edge of the bed to be closer to him.

She was...sitting right in front of him. He couldn't believe it. "You're—you're really here."

"Cloud called me…" she hesitated for a moment. "He told me you were hurt. That you needed me here."

He lowered his amethyst eyes, seeing her hands folded in her lap. "Is that the only reason why you're here? Because he told you to come?" Zack tentatively asked his girlfriend.

"I'm here because I want to be here."

A heavy silence settled between them, making the atmosphere more awkward. He hadn't seen her for days since their fight and the flashbacks wouldn't leave him alone as they replayed in his mind. The coldness in this voice and her painful expression from every single word from that fiery exchange..he deeply regretted that could've been their last time together. That could've been her last memory of him.

Looking up at her beautiful face, Zack sighed. He just wanted to reset and go back to the start. "After I got shot I thought about how...how I didn't say anything to you before I left. How our fight might be the last thing we said to each other. I never thought I'd almost die, regretting my last moments with you."

"Zack, listen—"

"Aerith, you came for me," he stated while reaching for her hand. "You came here for me despite your fears. This is enough for me for now. I can wait a little longer if you need me to..." He looked out the door at the nurse's station to see if the coast was clear. His other hand cupped her elbow when he returned to gaze into her warm green eyes. "I'm sorry for not saying goodbye or that I love you before I left. I won't ever do that again."

It happened so quickly. Her lips parted as she closed in and he felt her warmth take over him and all he could was react with instinct. It didn't matter where they were at this moment or the secret they had promised to keep. Zack closed his eyes and kissed her back, moving his lips with her soft ones against him. He was still holding her hand but trailed his other hand up her arm. He almost stopped breathing when she deepened their kiss.

His hand caressed her cheek when her tongue skimmed over his again. It wasn't exactly safe for them to show this kind of affection inside the walls of HQ, but he found that he didn't care right now. She made the move and he was transfixed by the rush so much he didn't want to remind them of their reality. Aerith was just kissing him without a second thought, taking his breath away.

She parted from him eventually, as if she was trying to defy the logic of gravity. Her lips are swollen from the hard kissing they just finished and a blush blooms on her upper cheeks. His thumb brushed over her lower lip, and her breath hitched from the contact. They simply stare at one another.

"You kissed me," Zack casually mentioned.

"Yes, I did," Aerith replied, her viridian eyes never breaking from his. She kept herself close to him, even after he pointed out what she had just done.

"You shouldn't be kissing me here," the corner of his mouth curled up when he began to tease her. "Someone might see us and rumors would fly about the hot Soldier and the sexy lab tech being together. We can't have that."

"I don't care. All this hiding is hurting us," she briefly started, then took a pause. "Zack, I pushed you away when you just wanted to be with me. Because of my own trust issues I almost lost you entirely. So starting tomorrow, things will be different. I won't be like this anymore. No more...no more hiding who we are."

"You're telling your parents about us?"

"I'm telling my parents about how much I love you," she corrected him.

"You sure about this?" he asked her, pushing a loose curl behind her ear. Honestly, he was just thrilled she was setting her fears aside for him. He just wanted to make sure she wanted this too. To give her more time if she needed it because he loved her. "I can wait longer if you need to."

"I don't need more time. I just need you. You're who I want to wake up with and go to bed with and do everything in between with," she confessed further to him. "I was scared when you walked out the other day...I thought I was never going to feel the way I feel when I'm with you ever again."

"I'm really happy to hear that, Aerith," he smiled at her.

She squeezed his hand back. "Me too."

He pressed his lips against hers in a chaste kiss. "Come on, you should get some sleep."

She released the hold on his hand as he started to scoot over, looking at the space he offered to her to take upon the bed, unsure if she even should. "But...but you're hurt. I'll just hurt you more."

"I'll be fine," Zack said as he laid back on the reclined bed. "It's past 3:00 a.m. and you've probably been here for hours. You won't hurt me, Aerith."

She nodded slowly and he could see the fatigue hit her eyes. "Okay." His girlfriend took off her white shoes and placed her pink cardigan on the back of the chair. It had been a long night for both of them, and he was glad she was going to sleep next to him tonight.

Carefully, she shifted herself into the bed next to him, tucking her plait back before resting her head against the side of his chest that wasn't wounded. His arm that was free of wires molded around her body perfectly. Aerith laid her arm across his midchest, being careful to not touch any of his wounds. After another quiet moment, she snuggled closer to him, bringing her leg up over his.

He took a deep breath in, taking in her the flowery scent of her soft hair and letting out a sigh.

"Did I hurt you just now?"

"No," he kissed her temple and stroked his hand across the skin of her arm that draped him. Her laying here with him was giving him a wonderful sense of comfort. "I'm okay. I'm just...really happy that you are here with me."

"Cloud said there was something you wanted to tell me?" Aerith inquired, trailing her fingers in a circle on his chest. It was soothing to him when she touched him so gently like this. He knew that's why she was doing it. "That he wasn't going to do it for you, something you had to tell me yourself."

Zack thought back to when he thought he was dying in the truck, begging his best friend to tell the woman he loved how much he wanted her to be his wife. He licked his lips. "I wanted him to tell you, in case I didn't make it back, that I wanted to marry you." It wasn't something that was new to her, as he mentioned it to her on their last night together. "But not yet. In time I will ask you."

He could feel her smile against his chest. "And I'll say yes when you do ask."

* * *

**Author's Note Continued: **See? Everything is fine. I would not kill off Zack! You all don't trust me enough to not make it better, crying to me that I did something so cruel to you and start a "Zack Protection Squad" on the _FinalHeaven Discord Server_ as you grabbed your pitchforks. Both _**Potato**_ and _**legendaryboo**_, I know you were trying to gather up a mob but I hope this chapter made all the tears you shed all better now!

I will admit though, I laughed maniacally at the reviews section of everyone's heartbreaking a little too hard. But the reason for it all was to make Aerith realize what she could be missing out on if she didn't trust Zack and his love for her.

Happy _Cloti/Zerith Week_!


End file.
